Percy Jackson and the Kid He Ran Over
by Najio
Summary: This takes place right where Percy's mom is driving him to camp, but instead of getting struck by lightning, the car swerves to avoid hitting someone who walked out onto the road. The story is from his POV. He is not exactly normal... Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the kid Percy ran over, him I made up. Everything else belongs to Rick Riordan.
1. Prologue

**Note: I will probably not be updating this consistently. One week I may update six times, the next there may be nothing. ****So far I have been adding new chapters, but I haven't gotten any reviews :(, so I'm not sure if I should have longer chapters less frequently or what. ****Enjoy! :P**

Roars and howls rippled through the air, the sound curving strangely through different gasses as he fell in circles. Gravity fluctuated, sometimes strong and confident, sometimes balking like a frightened horse. Faces erupted out of nowhere, as night curved across the western half of his vision. It wove in and out of a wave of blue, but a strange reddish blue that seemed to pierce his eyes and deepen the darkness and strengthen it as it danced in and out of the bright light of a sun that burned for seconds before its shape twisted into that of a lake with tall orange mushrooms growing upside down. Their bright caps dived down into the murk.

A heartbeat he fell there, a heartbeat he floated, and it was all so ethereal, so dreamlike and surreal, that he wondered if he were really awake, or even really alive. All this was thought with emotions and images however, for the boy knew no language. Then, the world was torn, and a gash opened in the universe. Its inside was a deep, empty grey. It would have been impossible to look upon, so infinite and bleak, but sprinkled through that emptiness were stars of brightest gold, beautiful and inviting. Into this hole he fell, and the deep grey turned to black.

He awoke among tall trees, and felt the dappled light, warm against his skin. A strange dream, one he barely remembered, had disturbed his nap. It also seemed have disturbed his memory, or rather, deleted it. In his mind's eye, a picture formed of deep red berries nestled among the trees of the forest, and knew he could eat them. Every time he encountered a new food, he immediately knew whether or not it was edible. Puzzled but not particularly concerned, he wondered for months among the trees, sleeping atop gnarled roots whenever he was tired, eating rich nuts and sweet fruits whenever he was hungry, and drinking from cheery streams whenever he was thirsty.

The roots would whisper to him, and it was they who had been telling him what to eat. Grass sang under his feet of the life-giving sun and of birds soft feathers threading through their blades. He would eat a fruit, and it would tell him to spread its seeds. All the green things in the forest spoke to him, telling him where to find what he needed. In return, he planted hundreds of seeds of all shapes and sizes in the best places. His life revolved around the shafts of sunlight that trickled down through the emerald leaves of his home.

Eventually he came to a long, straight scar in the forest, shiny and black. It was night, with stars spattered across the night sky and the moon shedding silver light onto the trees. He cautiously placed one bare foot upon the scar, and found that it was rough and hard. As he walked along it, there was a screech from behind and he was thrown forward. Landing on one arm, he heard crack and fire spread from his wrist to his shoulder. Blood oozed from the scrapes and scratches that peppered every inch of his skin. Then, a crash shattered what was left of the night's majesty.


	2. Chapter 1

**If you like it, or if you don't, please review! It would really help to have feedback :) - Optimistic Smile**

Percy didn't know what to think about the kid he ran over. He wasn't badly hurt, but he healed slower than Percy. Apparently, he was mortal, so he couldn't eat ambrosia, or drink nectar. Luckily they had noticed before they accidentally burned him to a crisp. Percy had said that they really should have some method of testing that, but apparently most mortals couldn't even enter Camp Half Blood.

The kid had woken up an hour ago, and Percy had tried to talk to him, but he had just sat there looking confused. Not that Percy wanted to talk after what happened to his mom, and the bathroom incident. A few Athena campers had tried teaching him to talk, but after ten minutes of pointing at things and getting nowhere, they had stomped off in disgust. Chiron had stepped in, but he didn't manage much better.

The kid had no name, so Percy had started calling him Green in his head, because of his grass colored eyes and because he tended to brush his hands against pretty much every plant he passed. Percy felt kind of bad about hitting him, so he had tried to give him shoes, which was a mistake. He had put them on, looking curious. Then, he got up, and within five steps, he had ripped them off and thrown them as hard as he could towards the lake. Fortunately for Percy, as hard as he could was about ten feet and didn't include the lake.

* * *

The air smelled like sap, and brown pine needles littered the ground. Green sat, cross legged with his back against a towering pine tree that he had seen from the camp. He had been sitting there only a minute when he felt puzzlement emanating from the tree. This was normal for him, that trees could communicate with him. What was stranger was that it seemed distinctly _female_, while most trees didn't really have genders. Stranger still, instead of using pictures and feelings, strings of sounds passed from it, through his bare feet which rested on its roots. They sounded like the noises the grey-eyed people had made.

After a time of half-listening to these noises, and image floated up through his feet. It showed a long, shining object that came to a point. Along with the image came a string of sounds. Sorrd. This kept happening, and eventually he caught on. Each sound represented something, and that was what the grey-eyed people were trying to show him. Eventually words started to form strings of their own. The strange tree told him they were called senn-ten-sez. These described more words, and eventually Green could talk back to the odd tree.

_Why do you call yourself Green?_ She asked one afternoon.

_I heard the green-eyed boy say it. It fits too. Grass, leaves, they are green. So am I._

_ Green-eyed boy? I don't know him._

_ He got here when I did._

_ Oh. Did you see anyone with blonde hair, grey eyes?_

_ Blonde?_

_ Oh. _She explained that blonde meant yellow, but only when talking about hair.

_Why only hair?_

_I don't know, but did you see-_

_Yes, many people like that. They tried to teach me to talk. I still can't._

_Why not? You talk to me._

_ True, but the reason I talk to you… I think it has something to do with listening. So many people can talk, but they can't listen. I'm afraid that if I talk, I won't be able to listen._

_ That's ridiculous._

_ I know._

He rose, stretching, and said, _I want to learn to fight._

_ Why?_

_ Well, all the others know how, and I think they will need it. So, I want to know how to help._

_ I could teach you some._

He smiled, and from then on he spent his mornings learning new things, mostly about the gods and monsters that he might run into. In the afternoons, he learned how to fight, and trained to be stronger. Mostly though, he learned to quickly think of strange, insane plans to survive battles. He absorbed it all like a sponge, and with every new idea she taught him, his mind felt emptier. Not unpleasant, not lonely, more like it was ready to be filled.


	3. Chapter 2

**Well, you know how I wrote before that I might be inconsistent with updates? Well, three in one night. So, I don't plan on having an update every Wednesday or anything, but reviews = more chapters, generally speaking. And by that I mean YOU! Yeah, you in the yellow shirt! I mean, one of you has to be wearing a yellow shirt. If not, someone change into a yellow shirt and review. SO! ENOUGH BABBLE! 000:) - Marge**

* * *

_If my name is Green, then what's yours? I never asked before. _Sweat poured down his face as he swung an… erm… "borrowed" sword from the armory. He wasn't nearly as good as the green-eyed boy, whose name was apparently Percy.

_Well… I used to be Thalia._

_ Used to be?_

_ Yeah. Before, but now I'm a tree. I think I am more demigod than tree…_

_ Definitely._

_ The thing is, I am still a tree. Trees don't really have names. I care less about what I'm called now, and everything is really peaceful. The only excitement I get is when a monster comes along and I need to protect the camp, and I don't actually _do_ anything then._

_ That sounds boring. _He thrust the sword forward, and overbalanced, toppling over and landing on his face, pine needles pricking his skin. Once-Thalia-but-now-sort-of-nameless-tree spoke through the few fallen needles that hadn't yet died.

_It was, but you've made it a lot more interesting. By the way, you shouldn't lean that far forward._

_ Ouch. So why did you let me in?_

_ Huh?_

_ I'm mortal, so why did you let me into the camp?_

_ Not sure. I just felt like I had to. Tree instincts?_

_ Maybe._

_So, are you going to tell Annabeth?_

_ Like I said, I can't talk._

_ Oh come on, this is important!_

_ I'm sorry, I tried. I went up to her, but I didn't even manage to sputter. Sputter, nice word. She just looked at me funny and walked away._

_ Huh. Maybe you can't talk._

_ I just said that!_

_ No, like it isn't just that you can't _risk_ talking… It's that you physically can't. No vocal chords._

_ Hmm… No, I feel fine._

_ Well you wouldn't feel any different if you were born without, would you?_

He shrugged and parried a strike from an invisible opponent.

_Okay, so if a hydra popped out from behind a cabin, what would you do?_

_ Um… I might run to the dining pavilion and use the sacrificial fires._

_ Might work, but burn the heads with what?_

_ Oh, um… I could heat up my sword._

_ Suitably insane._

He grinned and swiped off an invisible hydra head with his sword, although in his mind's eye it was red-hot.

_Maybe I'll try again._

_ Try what again?_

_ Talking to Annabeth._

* * *

She stared at him, storm grey eyes analyzing what he might say, or rather, what he might say if he could talk. He thought about what he should say, something like, 'Hi, um, I can talk to plants, including your friend Thalia. Would you like me to translate for you?' He compressed his lungs, forcing air through his throat. He willed the words to escape, longed for them to be free. A sigh was all he got for his trouble. That and a somewhat creeped out, mildly distasteful glare. He couldn't keep doing this, or she'd skewer him on sight next time.


	4. Chapter 3

**Just saying, writing this was ****_hard. _****Something messed up my settings, so when I type the cursor randomly moves around the document. I have no idea why, but if anyone has had something similar happen… well, I need help! ACK! I can't scroll! STUPID MOUSE GLITCH THING! *Rages* Sigh. :/ I always end these with an emoticon, don't ask why. Please review!**

* * *

Green lay in the shade of once-Thalia, absorbing the sunlight that fell across his face, and listening to the birds.

_Someone is leaving, _she told him, breaking the silence.

_On a quest?_

_ Yeah, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth I think._

_ Where? I have to find them. I want to go with them._

_ You don't even know what the quest is!_

_ I don't need to. No way I'm letting them get hurt._

_ Um, no offense, but I don't think they'd be the ones needing protection in a fight._

_ Still, I could find things out from plants, they can talk to each other! I have to help._

_ And what would you do when you found something out? You can't even write notes, or shake your head! Unless you start talking…_

_ Just tell me where they are please._

_ They already have three! That's the best number for quests._

_ I'm mortal, I don't count._

_It doesn't work like that!_

_It does now._

_ For such a relaxed guy, you're stubborn as Hades. Fine, they're at the road, a bit east of here. They won't want you to come._

_ Well, in that case I'll have to follow them._

_Green!_

Panting, he reached the spot where Percy held an ink-stick, or rather a pen, and when he took off the cap it changed into a glowing bronze sword. He stood, his face smoothly passing from awe-struck to confused as Green approached.

"Uh, hi."

Green steeled himself, and forced his hand into a person-shape. He made it walk, pointed at Percy, and stood there, waiting for a response.

"You want… to come?"

Again, he forced himself to move, nodding. It actually hurt, the muscles in his neck knotting as he fought with himself to move them. Percy looked uncertain, and asked, "Chiron, uh, don't we already have three?"

Green had written on a napkin, in the shade beneath the pine tree. Writing was easier there, somehow. He pulled it out of his pocket and smoothed it out.

_ I now there arr alreddy threy, but I am mordal. I dont cownt._

"I can't read this…"

"Allow me," Chiron took the napkin, and read it aloud. "That really isn't how it works, but there has never been a mortal on a quest before. Then again, no mortal has ever passed through the camp borders either. I suppose you had better bring him along. Who knows what useful, perhaps essential, talents he may reveal?"

"Chiron!" Annabeth had been silent until then, but it was obvious to Green that she didn't want him to come. He probably should have given up the first time he had tried to talk, but he didn't want Thalia to have to live the rest of here evergreen life not being able to talk with her friend.

"I am sorry, but I am afraid I must insist. His absences alarm me. I have no idea where he goes, but he never answers when I ask. I hope that he shall find his voice on this quest." Oops. Someone had noticed him sneaking off.

Smiling impishly, Green slid into the backseat, right behind the many-eyed man. Annabeth shot him a poisonous look and followed. He hoped Chiron was right, and that he would learn to talk, because he needed to get off her bad side.


	5. Chapter 4

**Here you go! Now remember, I have no reviews yet, so even one would be a HUGE favor! I'm really hoping for some feedback, and even one would make me write a bunch more! B-) -SUNGLASSES! WAHAHA!**

As they drove, Percy and Annabeth bickered, while Green just stared out the window. The green hills were covered in pine trees, and they reminded him of Thalia. He had no idea what was coming, but he knew he would learn to talk. He _had _to. As the arguing grew louder, he rolled down the window and stuck his hand out. When he drew it back in, a switch of pine lay in his hand.

_Yes lord?_

_Stop calling me that. Do you know where we're going?_

_No disrespect master, but you didn't know that when you came along? They didn't bother to tell you? You are headed to L.A., to the underworld. Bad place, no sunlight, no rain. Not good for your health sir._

_Don't call me lord, or sir, and _definitely_ don't call me master. What do you mean not good for my health?_

_Ah, we give you strength. Without our support, you grow sick, weak. When you are near, we are also strengthened, but the impact is less. They really didn't tell you anything?_

_Nope. So, let me get this straight. If I go with them, into the underworld, I will get sick and weak?_

_And die._

_Got it. Perfect. Any way to not die?_

_Ah, that is easy great one. You must not go with these people._

_No, I can't just abandon them. And stop with the nicknames!_

_Well, oh wonder of the earth, you could just bring a clipping of us, but when it dies…_

_Now you're doing it on purpose. But, what if I brought a live plant? Would it die in the underworld?_

_Yes, it is the land of the dead. The clipping would not survive long either, only a minute or two. So, you see the only way is to stay on the surface._

_Um, are there any evil skeleton plants in the underworld?_

_Yessir, but only in Persephone's garden. And the fields of Asphodel._

_Oh, so how close would I have to be to those places, in order to not die?_

_Well, I think anywhere but Tartarus and the fields of punishment would be sufficiently close to plant life. In those places, I am not sure._

_So this entire conversation was pointless, and as long as I'm not sucked into Tartarus or sent to the fields of punishment, I'll be fine?_

_Fine? No. You will feel weak, but you will not die. Well, you probably will, but of Cerberus teeth and Hades wrath._

_I haven't done anything evil enough to warrant eternal punishment right? Well, I don't remember much. Wait, if I die on this quest, and it turns out I did something really evil before I lost my memory, what would happen? I can't die in the underworld!_

_Ah, you can. Permanent, no afterlife. So, be good!_

_Thanks. So how do you know all this?_

_Your coming was foretold, the great oaks of the Half-Blood-place spoke of one who could speak to us, and would learn from our wisdom, and so unleash it upon the world. Trees are wise, yes? But we have no tongues, so you must give the world our wisdom. Or so they said, personally I think you'll have enough on your plate staying alive on this quest._

_Okay… anything else I should know about being me, you know, do I need to eat my fruits and vegetables or combust and die?_

_VEGETABLES?! MONSTROUS! Think about it!_

Green thought. So if the tree was talking to him, it was sentient, and it could talk to other trees, so they were sentient. The grass spoke with him also, which was why he liked being barefoot. It followed that all plants were living, thinking beings which didn't want to be pulled up by the roots and eaten. He had a sudden gagging fit as he tried to vomit up all his carrots and potatoes.

* * *

_Fruit is okay though, right?_

_Yes. The strawberry plant is not harmed. Nor am I, when a switch is taken, although if many were harmed I would be concerned._

_Sorry! I didn't… think._

_That's alright, carrots are conceited jerks anyway._

"Uh, are you okay?" Percy broke into his conversation. "Are you carsick or something?"

All four of them were staring at him, even the many-eyed man. He supposed the coughing and retching he had been doing would look a bit strange. Stopping, he sat quietly, as he couldn't make himself nod at the moment. His neck hurt already, he didn't need more knotted muscles.


	6. Chapter 5

**This is really LONG! Do I get a long chapter reward? Like a review? Please? Anyway, this is the first fight scene, hope you like it! R&R! :3 - Always end ANs with emoticons!**

* * *

When the many-eyed man stopped at the bus station, Green was eager to leave. He dropped the pine sprig and looked around. He was horrified by all the saplings, confined in tiny islands of mulch. As Percy pulled down a poster with his face on it, Green placed his hand on the slim trunk, sending his question vibrating down his arm.

_Why are you in that little box?_

_ I was planted here sir! As for whether I like it, it's alright I guess. Plenty of water, nothing blocking the sun. Trimming helps me grow! Well, I won't get very tall sir, not enough room. I don't mind though, really. None of the others get tall either._

_ I'm sorry, I wish I could help._

_ Don't worry mister, it has its drawbacks, but it's a nice way to live all in all. I watch the people go by, and I never want for anything._

Percy waved his hand in front of his face, and after a quick goodbye he followed them to the bench in the little-glass-room. Percy handed him goat-Grover's old shoes, telling him he could take them off as soon as they got off the bus. They started tossing around an apple, and Green imagined the apple tree, casting shade upon the grass, perfect for sitting and listening to it complain about the storms they'd been having. He missed the tranquil hills and stolen sunlight under the twisting boughs of the woods. No one ever went in there alone, certainly not without a weapon, but the trees whose trunks he slid his hands across as he walked would always warn him if a monster was nearby. As Grover-goat-boy ate the apple mid-toss and the other three began to laugh, he smiled, wishing he could laugh with them.

Soon, the bus came, hissing like the angry garter snake Green had once stepped on by accident. As they stood in line, Grover sniffed the air. Maybe it's nothing. That always seemed to precede an attack. He bent down and ran his hand through the grass, cursing his new shoes.

_Is there a monster?_

Instead of the ordered response he would expect from a bush or tree, jumbled thoughts and images swirled through his head as each blade tried to answer. Grass was always like that, it wasn't very smart and all the different pieces would argue until he asked a specific one, and even then the others would pipe in, as they were connected by their roots. An image of an elderly woman was quickly replaced by a shadowy figure whipping a lioness. All he could gather was that an old lady wanted to tame some lions, which he gathered was a misinterpretation.

As they sat, Annabeth pointed to an old lady boarding the bus. For a second, he wondered if there really was a lion taming senior citizen walking down the aisle, but he dismissed the thought when three others came aboard and blocked the aisle as they sat. Percy said,

"She didn't stay dead long."

Oh. Mrs. Dodds. The fury that attacked Percy. For once he was glad he couldn't talk. He would probably have made some comment about how the torturers of Hades should have more important things to do that moonlight as lion tamers. The bus started to move, and the others made frantic suggestions, like climbing out the windows. What kind of window didn't open?!

_A porthole. _Green thought for a second that someone was reading his mind, but then he reached down into his sock. Sure enough, a maple leaf was wedged in between his sock and his ankle.

_How long have you been there?_

_ Oh, around when you ran off to join this ridiculous adventure. I didn't figure there would be much point in telling you to stay behind, so I stayed quiet, but I think you need help. Let's see… how to escape a moving bus… have you tried the door?_

_ No! Thank the GODS you got stuck in my sock, we NEVER would have thought of the DOOR! They're blocking it. Um… I could distract them, yell 'I AM PERCY JACKSON' and… right._

_ Yelling might be a problem. How about you write it on your forehead?_

_ I thought you were going to help._

_ Fine. I could tell you how to fight them? I've witnessed my share of Capture the Flag over the years. I could tell you when to duck, jab…_

_ I don't have a weapon._

_ YOU WENT ON A SUICIDE MISSION AND YOU DIDN'T BRING A WEAPON?! WHAT KIND OF IDIOT ARE YOU?!_

_ Well, I left in kind of a hurry. Know any hand to hand?_ A sound almost like growling emanated from his sock.

_ Hand to hand. With a fury. Why not? Oh right, your goal _isn't_ to die within an three hours of leaving camp! I FORGOT!_

_ I'll die just sitting here. What do I have to lose?_

_ Not much, just your life. Okay, I'll help, but never, EVER again are you going to ask me to give you karate lessons so that you can kill yourself fighting Hades' minions, got it?_

_ Got it. _The furies made their move then, each in turn asking in a flat, rehearsed voice to use the restroom. Annabeth handed Percy her hat, and he vanished. As soon as he got over his complete shock, Green slipped the leaf out of his sock so that it could see, which he still didn't understand, and prepared to attack.

As the furies made their way towards the remaining three questers, they began to wail and transform into hideous hag-bat things. He rose to his feet.

_Here goes nothing, _said the leaf in his left fist. _Wait for the girl to pick a target and HOLD ON! Does the satyr really think it can fight them with TIN CANS?! _TWO_ OF YOU JUST UP AND DECIDED TO LEAVE ALL YOUR POINTY BRONZE IMPLEMENTS UNDER YOUR PILLOWS?!_

_ Yes. Moving on?_

_ Alright, once she engages one of them, pick one of the others and try to grab its whip. It'll hurt, so be ready._

Suddenly the bus swerved to the left. Green used his inertia to make a grab for one of their whips, and as his hand touched it he almost screamed, but no sound escaped. It was _hot_, and the fury was fighting back, lashing it across his back. He bit down on his tongue, tasting blood, and pulled harder as the bus spun in a circle and crashed into a tree. Somebody yelled in ancient Greek, maybe Annabeth and he finally managed to yank the whip out of the bat-lady's hands. She shrieked and tried to bit him, but just then Percy took off the cap and yelled, "Hey!"

She turned, and he took the opportunity to lash the whip across the back of her head. Forgetting Percy, she scratched him across the chest. Then, Percy's pen-sword slashed her into dust and he fell to the ground.

_You aren't dead. _The maple leaf sounded mildly impressed.

_Nope. Thanks for the advice. OW! _Mrs. Dodds had accidentally kicked the whip he had dropped, sending it sliding up into his face, burning a streak across his nose. Green yanked his head back, but he was at the end of his strength, and just lay there instead of getting up and attacking the remaining furies. The others seemed to be handling them pretty well, but when lightning struck the bus, adrenaline got him on his feet and stumbling out of the bus.

As the bus exploded, he was pushed forward, landing on his face and rising next to the others. Through the ringing in his ears he heard Annabeth mention reinforcements, and that was all he needed to keep running.

_What I meant to say, _the leaf still clutched in his fist clarified as he dragged his sore body into the darkness ahead, _was that you aren't dead YET, and even that is nothing short of a miracle._

_ Your vote of confidence is overwhelming._


	7. Chapter 6

**Okay, prepare for the longest chapter I have written! *DUN DUN DUUUUN!* Plz review! I am not above begging! ^.^**

* * *

Green half-listened to the others' talk. He tried to imagine spending years of his life in just one place. Actually, he didn't have to imagine. The only living things he could talk to were rooted in one spot, forever. If he thought about it, staying at camp for more than five years didn't seem that bad. Some trees stood in one spot, never moving, for centuries. Humans were different though. Thalia talked about how things that seemed important when she was a demigod sort of… faded. Her name was less important now, and the sunlight on the hill gained top priority.

He blinked. For the first time, he wondered how the forest hadn't died long ago, if no rain ever fell there. Maybe there was some sort of underground river or something. People never really thought about those things, himself included. Often they were pointed out to him by trees, who had nothing to do all day _but_ think. Maybe that was how they bore it, never seeing anywhere but their birthplace. The words of the pine switch echoed back to him. Share the thoughts built up over centuries? He doubted he'd live long enough.

Percy slammed into a tree, cursing. Green brushed his hand over its bark.

_Ouch,_it said grumpily.

_He didn't do it on purpose._

_ I know that. So, where are you headed? Away from the bus?_

_ How do you know about that?_

_ I listen. Heard it all the way over here. Well, heard about it anyway._

He passed by, his hand falling away from the trunk. After walking for miles, he began to sag. Roots snagged his bare feet as they dragged along the ground. Then, he saw light. A neon sign emerged from the gloom.

* * *

"What the heck does that say?" Percy stared uncomprehendingly at the sign.

"I don't know."

_Auntie Em's Garden Gnome Emporium, _he wanted to say. Grover said it for him. Then, as his foot touched the grass, it began to whisper.

_Danger lord!_

_ Terrible fate awaits master!_

_ Not that way!_

_ Run! Just run!_

The chorus ended when he stepped onto the road, tense. He put out a hand, ran back into the woods, and grabbed a branch long enough so that he wouldn't have to be too close to whatever came, but small enough to lift. He shoved his feet into the shoes he'd been carrying around his neck.

"Calm down," Percy told him. "It's just a garden store. Snack bar!"

"Snack bar," Annabeth agreed. Green wasn't going to drop his stick.

_Finally, _the maple remarked from its place, perched in his hair like a feather, _you decide to bring a weapon. I thought I was supposed to help you beat Ares in a fist-fight or something. Learned your lesson?_

_ Definitely. This place is creepy, and the grass is afraid._

_ If I had a face I'd be smirking. You can't just grab the nearest stick whenever you run into something creepy! No way you drop that stick of your own accord until you're back at camp, ça va?_

_ What?_

_ It means okay in French._

_ Okay..._

_ Exactly! Now, what monster? Ew, creepy statues!_

_ NOT MEDUSA!_

_ Uh oh. Hmm… I got nuthin' on killing her._

_ You help me fist-fight a fury but you can't help me kill Medusa with a big stick? What kind of lame guardian angel are you?!_

_ The awesome kind. Well, you could knock the three of them out and drag them to L.A._

_ I'm not going to dignify that with a response._

_ You just did genius._

With that, a strange woman appeared in the doorway, tall, her head hidden beneath a black veil. Her accent sounded Middle Eastern.

_Covering the face? Here in the monster world, we call that a _really_ bad sign,_ the leaf chimed in.

_Yes sensei. It might be she really is Middle Eastern._

_ And it might be that my great-grandpa was a kumquat. Your point being?_

_ Just shut up._

"We got separated from our caravan," Percy was saying, "our circus caravan."

_If she buys that story, _Green told the leaf,_ she's a monster._

_ Nice work._

_ Seriously?_

_ No._

"Oh, my dears, you must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em."

_Totally medusa. Great. Just FANTASTIC, what now?_

_ You die painfully._

_ I almost agree on this one. We need to get out of here!_

_ Duh._

He stepped backwards, trying to get the others to follow, but they ignored him. Sighing inwardly, he followed them into Medusa's lair. She locked the door behind them, but Green wasn't all that surprised. When she tried to take his stick, he shook his head violently and held on for dear life. Apparently she decided that it wouldn't do much good to him in a fight, which was true, and moved on.

As soon as he smelled the burgers, he knew something was wrong. Percy and Annabeth looked dazed, and he himself started to feel a bit light-headed. Trying to subtly breathe through his mouth, he followed one of the most dangerous monsters in Greek mythology into her villainous snack bar.

If he was about to die, at least the food was great! As soon as he saw the burger buns, he quickly asked the leaf, _this isn't cannibalism is it?_

_ Obviously, if you're a sesame plant._

_ That isn't funny. I mean, are they sentient?_

_ Nah, they're long dead, never alive. Unless you count fetuses as being alive before they start moving, but either way, you're fine. But don't eat that._

_ Why not?_

_ I hate this job. If the smell is making you drowsy, then DON'T EAT IT YOU MORON!_

_ Oh._

_ Oh. OH. _OH!_ All you have to say is OH?! You almost drugged yourself! Don't let Annabeth eat it!_

He smacked her burger out of her hand, and as she stared at him indignantly, he pointed at Percy, who was already halfway through his second burger and had a dull, blank expression on his face. Auntie Em had been scolding him, but she looked over when he pointed.

"Oh, dears, don't worry about eating too much! You look starved!"

Annabeth whispered something in Greek, so quietly only he heard it, and he filed it away under _use when English profanity isn't profane enough._ Then, Percy started asking about her statues, looking more interested in his food, and he and Annabeth took the opportunity to rip off half their burgers and dump them under the table.

_You should just whack her now._

_ I can't, Annabeth is in the way!_

_ Really? Oh well. Can I have some burger?_

_ Uh, you don't have a mouth, and it's drugged._

_ What? Auntie Em wouldn't do that. She's too nice._

Alarmed, Green looked around. Annabeth was starting to look sleepy, even Grover looked more relaxed. He soon noticed that he was the only one not smelling the food. Uh oh…

He was surer by the second that she was Medusa. She dropped hints about having two sisters to help her in her work long ago. The statues started to seem more frightened and less cheerful. Then, she began to act _really_ creepy, talking about a bad woman who was jealous of her, Athena of course, and Annabeth's grey eyes and… aha! A use for his new Greek vocabulary!

This seemed to take Grover and Annabeth out of their trance, and they stood up, trying to get Percy to leave.

"Please dears, I so rarely get to be with children…" Her voice sounded almost predatory now, but no one else seemed to have noticed. She asked them to take a photograph, to… model… a new… statue…

_SNAP OUT OF IT, _he yelled at his new accessory.

_Wha? OH! What was that about a photograph?_

_ We're about to DIE!_

_ Zzz…_

So he was on his own. She led them outside, into her little garden of dead victims. He bade his time, elbowing Percy, trying to wake him up. Lining them all up, she told them to smile, and all Hades broke loose. A few seconds blurred together, and he stumbled a little. Then, he saw Percy holding his sword and one of those blue reflecting orbs.

_HEY!_

_ Hmm? _It still sounded sleepy.

_Can you look at it without being frozen?_

_ I can try._

_ Okay, just tell me where it is._

He advanced, eyes closed, relying on directions from the leaf on his head.

_Eight o'clock! _The stick struck home with a satisfying crack. Grover flew at it with a club, using his nose for guidance, according to the leaf. Then, Green heard her hiss, and something Grover-sounding hit a statue. Praying his friend was okay, he lunged again. Then, he felt the leaf on his head begin to stiffen.

_Don't worry, I never would have agreed to do this if my main body would freeze too, and she's-_

The tiny statue slipped off his head, and he felt snake fangs snag his shirt. Then, a thud and Annabeth was yelling at Percy not to look at it. The four of them went inside for some bags to wrap the head. A sharp intake of breath from behind him told him that she had noticed what he had been staring at; two small holes had been torn in the fabric of his t-shirt, right on the shoulder. Holding his breath, he eased the sleeve upward, revealing bite-free skin.

Sighing in relief, she turned away and started berating Percy. _What do you know, _he told the grass, _she doesn't hate me._ Well, she didn't want him to die painfully of Medusa hair, but that was good enough for him.


	8. Chapter 7

**Okay, so Olo Eopia03 has been... *savors moment* MY FIRST REVIEW :D! This inspired me to write another chapter, although it is short. It is currently pretty late and I have school, hence shortness. *Explodes with joy* :')**

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The moon rose over the forest, turning the leaves from green to silver, leaves that swirled all around Green as he lay, stretched out on a limb. Most people would find sleeping like this uncomfortable, but he found the whispers in the leaves calming. Without it, and their unearthly lullabies flowing from root to root, he would never sleep. At camp, he had slept most nights in Demeter, because they had nowhere better to put him since he had flat out refused to stay in Hermes. Even in the cabin dedicated to the goddess of agriculture, the plants weren't like the ones in the forest. They were tame and shy, and kept calling him lord and master.

Most nights he would tough it out until morning, but sometimes he just couldn't. Then, he would creep out of the cabin in the dead of night. Sometimes he would slip into the woods and sleep in the tallest tree he could find, or slip under its roots. More often, he would make his way to Thalia's tree and stay up all night listening to her stories. Remembering that now, he missed camp again.

_No need,_ the tree told him. It was an oak, and they all tended to talk slowly, without clear purpose until they finished. _You two leggers, all so convinced that you must hold to the old way. Does the sparrow sit on the limb and sing about its ancient home, years after it had eggs of its own? There is no need to rush to move on. All the birds miss the nest, all the beasts, the burrow, until they fly or run, swim or crawl out into the world and build their own, but their grieving stops there. Not so for many of you two leggers. You tend to dwell on past and future._

_ I'm only twelve._

_ Alas, many things great and small mistake their births and deaths._

_ I'm only twelve, and I can only remember the past three months of my life, so how would I know what that means?_

_ You won't until you find your sisters and brothers in spirit, if not blood. They who are like to you in beginnings were never born._ At that, it gave a small, all knowing chuckle.

_ Talking to you is exhausting._

_ You are trying to sleep, aren't you? Seems to me he's doing you a favor. _A speedwing had landed on his face.

_I hate three-way conversations, I never know who is talking. Go to sleep. _

_ We don't sleep. _He was confused for a second, because oaks were never that brief. Then he realized it was the speedwing. He didn't reply. Some part of him that had heard the others at camp playing video games said, _you found unintelligible wisdom in the treasure chest! _Below, he heard Grover and Percy talking about pollution. Scumming up the oceans was bad enough, but logging made him _angry_. At least shrimp weren't sentient. Of course, he couldn't say that, so he just turned over and bent his ears inward, letting the deep, slow rumble of the oak lull him to sleep.

* * *

The sound of barking woke him from his sleep.

_Has the softness of sleep helped ease the fear of dawn?_

_ When have I ever feared dawn?_

_ All things fear the dawn, that it will bring them sorrow rather than joy, as you fear that it will bring challenges you cannot face, but the gentle caress of dreams can soothe the pain of waking._

Green half jumped, half fell out of the tree, trying to get away from it. He had preferred the maple. At least it had said what it felt, rather than giving him riddles to make the oracle proud. He suddenly realized that he hadn't heard the prophecy that they were following. Thalia had heard of prophesies during her time as a tree, post pine as she liked to call it, but he hadn't heard Percy's. He shrugged and got to his feet.

"Whoa! Careful!" Grover had watched his nearly headfirst dive out of the tree. He shrugged and dug into his breakfast, first noting everything he knew to be a vegetable and keeping his taste buds peeled. Blinking at the rather unfortunate phrasing of that thought, he munched a nacho cheese chip, and spat it out. _WHEAT! WHEAT! I'M AN IDIOT!_

"What?" Annabeth looked concerned. "Something taste bad?"

He shook his head and put up one finger, ducking into the woods. He came back with half a dozen berries in his fist, one raised to his mouth.

"DON'T!" Grover had shouted at him, disturbing the poodle on his lap. The… pink poodle… "Those are poisonous! You can't just eat any random berry you find in the woods!" Green froze, staring at the berries in his hands.

_What's he talking about?_ They seemed a bit ambiguous now that he thought about it… _We aren't poison. You've eaten us before!_

_ No I haven't!_

_ Oh, well… um…_

_ You tried to poison me!_

_ …Maybe…_

He threw them violently away from him, making a mental note to always ask several trees as well as the berries themselves before eating anything new. His once ravenous appetite had faded to almost nothing. Under Grover's baleful gaze, he harvested a few wine berries from a nearby bush, slowly drawing them to his mouth. _Note to self_, he thought, _watch diet._


	9. Chapter 8

**Alright! This is the new longest chapter I've written so far! Thanks so much for the reviews! ;P**

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"Percy, I said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle." Green was trying hard not to smirk. He had waved to the poodle already, and even that had felt weird. Part of him started to wonder whether shrimp were intelligent after all. Should he just eat fruit and nuts? Meh. He'd never eaten any poodles.

The poodle was apparently wanted by some rich family and would turn himself in to help them. Shoes again on the train. Ah well, he needed to get used to it anyway. His Medusa-whacking stick lay in his lap. Talking to it had failed, it had probably been dead when he grabbed it. Would they let him keep it on the train? Well, if not, too bad for them. Stuffing some birch bark in his pocket, he followed the others, and their new doggie friend.

* * *

Two days on the Amtrak. If he hadn't grabbed the bark, he would have died of boredom. That, or they might have driven through a wasteland and he would have slowly died. Fun.

_This is boring, _the bark complained.

_More so than the forest?_

_Nope. Everything is boring. I hate it all._

_Let me get this straight. Ancient, wise oak. Sassy maple. Evil assassin berries. Now, I have to deal with a depressed birch tree?_

_This conversation is pointless. All of it is pointless. The next evil lord is taking over the world. Who cares? Nothing matters. All hail insert name here!_

_You are a terrible travel companion. Wait, what do you mean the next evil lord is taking over the world?_

_Kronos is rising. Why bother trying to stop him? He is the lord of time. Time is all I have._

_Why bother? He roasts humans for fun!_

_I'm not human. Too bad really, death would be great._

_You have some serious issues my friend._

_I am not your friend. I am no one's friend._

_Wow. What is your problem anyway?_

_Everything._

Green tossed it out the window in disgust. Looking out the window, he thought about what it had said. Kronos was rising. He remembered him, Thalia's grandfather, lord of time. It took a suicidal birch tree to get news around here. A cold pinch started in his chest. Did the others know? Closing his eyes, he imagined he was back on the hill, under the pine tree that was once Thalia. Talk! Nothing happened, his throat wouldn't cooperate.

He was letting his friends down. If he couldn't tell them what he found out, what use was he? Crushing his lungs, he tried again, forcing the air through. A sigh wouldn't help. Signing, maybe? Green elbowed Percy, who sat next to him on the train, by the window. He mimed rising, putting both hands palm up and raising them toward the ceiling. Then, he pointed to the clock on the wall.

"No, it isn't time to get up yet. If you're bored, get some sleep. We'll need it." Shaking his head, he tried again. Frustrated, he looked around for something to write with, dismissing Riptide. There! On the floor was a stump of a pencil, with no eraser. He grabbed it and smoothed out a napkin. Ckronows is riysing. Three words. Seventeen letters. Just thirty-one strokes. It wasn't hard, but as he pushed the pencil toward the paper, his hand cramped and he had to massage the skin in between his forefinger and thumb.

"Uh, what are you trying to write?" He forced the pencil back toward the paper, and it dug into the napkin. Curve left, down a bit, back around. C. His head began to pound, right behind his eyes was an ache that cut his concentration like a hot knife cut butter. Straight line, no problem. He had already written on a napkin, so why was it so hard now? That question he knew the answer to. Already having it written and showing someone was one thing, writing it on the spot was quite another. That, and he was always calmer near trees, Thalia in particular.

Another line. No, he ripped the napkin. Start over, curve left… useless. It ripped again. Frustrated, he tossed the pencil back onto the floor and fumed.

"C… um, do you mean camp?" Percy asked. Green shook his head. "Can you sign it?" He shook it again. He had already tried that. Feeling useless, he grabbed the pencil again and sank back into his seat, closing his eyes, hoping he could write some more later. The napkin lay on his lap, and he shoved it into his pocket before slowly drifting off to sleep. _Note to self: Finish napkin writing. Even if I write one letter a day, in a week or so I'll have enough that they'll get it._

When he opened his eyes again, the intercom blared out that there would be a three hour layover before leaving for Denver. Green thought he might stroll around, find an interesting tree, but Annabeth had other ideas.

"Come on! Sightseeing!" He imagined groaning. _Well_, he thought, _I might as well get into architecture. If not, I'm going to have a miserable three hours._ According to their resident architect, the arch was a mile from the train station. Green didn't make it that far. Behind a bus, he saw a glint of gold, and a face. Confused, he craned his neck, trying to see what it was.

He nudged Grover and pointed. The satyr looked around, and spotted the train. "No, it doesn't leave for three hours. We're going to see the arch." This was getting ridiculous. Just because he couldn't talk, didn't mean he was a complete idiot. Green waited for the other three to turn a corner, and slunk off to where he had seen the monster. Dying was likely, but if he ran off with the others, they'd probably tell him not to worry, that the arch was perfectly safe, and drag him off. Then, whatever it was would attack and kill all four of them. It looked kind of like a giant lion. _The Nemean lion,_ he recalled Thalia saying, _is a giant lion that lived in-_

_Nemia?_ He had said, grinning.

_Yeah. Hercules killed it by strangling it to death with his bare hands._

_Is that the only way that dude knew how to handle monsters?_

"RRAAAOOOOWW!" It charged out from behind a building and pounced at him. Oops. He was going to die. His stick bounced harmlessly off it. _Its fur protected it from any mortal weapon. _Ah, but if he found a spot its fur didn't cover… He heard the whistling that preceded its deadly claws too late. The wounds on his chest from the furies were still bandaged, though the burns on his hands were mostly healed, and it swiped new cuts right alongside his old wounds. Chest burning, he backed away.

The lion pounced again, aiming at his face. He managed to yank his head back, but was knocked off-balance when it slapped him with the back of its paw. Then, it bashed him with its head. Air whooshed out of his crushed lungs, and he slammed into the side of a building. Bricks slammed into his head, and he slid to the ground, stick still clasped in his hand. Two Nemean lions slowly prowled forward, blurry but deadly.

All he could do was lay there, his head hurt too much, and the cuts on his chest. Blood trickled from his nose, which also hurt, but not as much as everything else. _Are you going to get up now?_

_ Hello conscience._

_ I'm not your conscience. I'm a weed, and that's a monster that's gonna kill you in a minute. Get up._

_ Thanks._

Green rose, leaning heavily on the wall, and pointed his stick at the lion. He had to get its mouth. It pounced, and he dodged to the side, stumbling. Bracing himself, he grabbed a handful of its mane, so when it tried to bite him, he was pulled sideways. As it opened its mouth to roar, he shoved his stick down its throat.

The monster growled, and he pushed harder. Its teeth cut his hand, and the stick splintered, then shattered, still stuck in his opponent's mouth. A howl escaped it, and it whipped its head to the side, knocking him to the ground. Apparently, it had had enough of his company, and backed off, then turned and fled. Mission accomplished.

His head hit the asphalt, and then his eyes began to close on their own. A two hour nap wouldn't be that bad. He had time. The street underneath him was hot, burning, but he didn't care. Blood trickled down his face, and the edges of his vision were eaten up by darkness.

* * *

"Green!" He reluctantly opened his eyes, and was greeted by Percy's face looming over him. "Green! What happened?" Slowly, shakily, and with Percy's help, he stood. What had happened? A lion, a Nemean lion. A Nemean lion, now with many splinters, had attacked. Looking back, he realized that he had been really stupid. Not that he had thought it would be a Nemean lion, he had figured some minor monster, like… well, he didn't really know, but nothing like a Nemean lion. Ah, Percy asked a question. He shrugged. There was no way he could mime a lion in the state he was in. His last civilized-looking shirt had been torn to shreds. Maybe they could buy a new one at the arch.

"I blew up the arch," Percy said, matter-of-factly. "Well, not on purpose, but… there was a chimera." What? "While we were up there, we saw you were gone. You shouldn't wander off like that." They hadn't noticed he wasn't there until the top of the arch? Trying not to be offended, he looked around. "The others are looking around too. Uh, come with me?" Green followed as he walked down the street, yelling, "Found him!"

"Where was-" Grover stopped in mid-sentence, gaping at him. "You look like you got mauled by a kindly one. Again." Wanting to stop that from becoming the assumed truth, he shook his head violently. It hurt.

"What happened?!" Annabeth had turned the corner, and looked horrified.

"He won't say," Percy explained, "but how are we going to get him on the train? Do we have any money left, so we can at least clean him up?" Grover ducked into the nearest store, and came out with a new t-shirt, of course green. Green ducked into an alley to change, and Percy handed him a fistful of baby wipes, with which he managed to clean most of the blood off his face.

The rest of the train ride was blessedly boring.


	10. Chapter 9

**Here is the next chapter! I'm still hoping for some more reviews... *sits up and begs like a puppy* Just pretend I'm looking at you like a kicked puppy and you won't be able to not review! :'3 Also, I'd just like to say... incorruptible! Heh, you'll find out! -TIME SKIP- Okay, the next thing I wrote was super short, so I decided to add it to the previous chapter cuz... I FELT LIKE IT! BRUHAHAHA! :3) DON'T DENY YOU LIKE MY MUSTACHE MAN EMOTE!**

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When the train pulled into Denver, Green was eager to find another stick. He wasn't Hercules, he couldn't just strangle any monster they met with his bare hands, although a sword would probably make a better weapon if he could wield one well, which he couldn't. Unfortunately, the other three seemed intent on contacting Chiron, and he wasn't about to wander off again only to get killed in painful, nasty ways by a pack of hydras.

Thalia had told him about IMing, which she had learned about from standing on the hill for five years, which was long enough to know quite a bit about how the camp worked. This was fortunate, as no one ever bothered to tell him _anything_.

_Feeling a bit resentful, are we?_

_ Maybe._

_ Quite alright, _said the apple Percy had tossed him.

_Well, it isn't their fault,_ he decided, biting into the apple.

_It looks that way to me, and do you really find nothing odd about conversing with your snack?_

_ No to both._

_ How is it not their fault that they never tell you anything?_

_ Uh, I'm not really sure if they think I know anything. I can't talk, and for a while I had no idea what anyone was saying, soo…_

_ Still, you are quite intelligent. They don't really deserve your company, now do they._

_ I'm starting to get the feeling I shouldn't be talking to you, _Green told it, taking another giant bite. Just because the apple was a bad influence, didn't mean he wasn't hungry.

_Well, don't you want them to understand your worth?_

_ Yes, and I plan to show them by kicking some monster butt and learning to talk, not necessarily in that order._

_ It would be easier to just join Kronos, I assure you that he would know exactly how much you are worth._

Green stood there for a second, and then burst out laughing. It was silent laughter, and it hurt, almost like he was breathing lava, but he couldn't help it. Mentally, he was howling, and tears started forming in his eyes.

_K-Kronos… uses APPLES to r-r-recruit his t-t-troops? _His laughter made him stutter as he spoke, and the apple was not amused.

_He is rising, and you will die if you oppose him. Why lose your life for people who think that you are incompetent?_

_ That maple tree thought I was incompetent, and he is the second-best mentor I've ever had. You need to work on your subtlety. Really, you can't just up and say, 'Hey, why not join Kronos? I mean, I've gone to the trouble of throwing in a little show-your-friends-that-you're-way-cooler-than-them lure, so I must be serious.'_

_ YOU ARE INFURIATING, IDIOT MORTAL! I CAN'T BELIEVE THE LORD OF THE PLANTS IS SOME STUPID KID WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR HIM!_

_ Never, ever go into advertising. _With that, they had arrived at the car wash and he finished the last of the apple, still laughing, and tossed the core into a nearby trash bin.

"Uh, are you okay?" Percy was staring at him, and probably thought he was going insane. That wasn't far from the truth, but he stopped laughing and nodded. His lungs hurt anyhow. Shaking his head and looking mildly bemused, Percy asked the others, "How are you going to contact Chiron?"

While they explained Iris Messages, Green sat outside on the curb, his toes threaded into a patch of grass sprouting from a crack in the pavement. Pulling out the napkin from the train, he looked down at what he had so far. Cl… a rip… C… another rip. Starting over seemed like a good idea. He leaned over the napkin, and brought out his pencil stub. C. It wasn't the hardest letter he'd have to write. A tentative voice came from the grass, but it wasn't grass. Looking down, he saw a small weed, much like the one that had urged him on.

_Sire?_

_ You don't have to call me that._

_ My apologies. I was wondering if we could have an agreement._

_ Okay, what kind?_

_ Well sir, I've seen a lot in a year, and I wanted… I wanted to draw something. And you, well, you want to write something? I don't have hands, and you don't have a voice. We can help each other._

_ Sounds good to me._

_ Well, there is one more thing. I'm coming with you sir._

_ How?_

_ Just take a little leaf, and I can tell you what to put on the paper._

_ All I have is a napkin. It serves my purposes, but-_

_ Ah, 'tis alright for me too sir, but we may be needing more than one. You need your news loose first, and you've already written on that, so how about you start?_

_ Okay. _Green closed his eyes, as the weed had suggested. He had torn a small bit of leaf from the main plant, feeling a little guilty. Then, he put the pencil to the napkin.

_Down a bit. _He eased his hand towards him. _Stop. Alright, now pick up the pencil, and a little to the right… _While Percy talked to Luke, and Annabeth yelled at a truck driver, he sat, unsure of what letter he was on, and not really caring. He wasn't the driver, he was the car. Together, he and that little weed made the perfect vehicle. If this was how everyone felt when they could finally put what they held inside out into the world, it was a wonder Kronos wanted to take over the world. Did people really need more than a napkin, a pencil, and a friend to be happy?

_Alright, open!_ His eyes fluttered open, and he saw what was written. Resisting his first impulse to stand up and pretend he was cheering, then jump up and down, he read the words.

_That's how you spell Kronos?_

_ Uh huh._

_ Oh. I was adding like four letters…_

_ Not important. Go show them! _Then, as if the lord of time himself had been watching all the time, the wind picked up, snatching his masterpiece and sending it fluttering away. He felt as though something was crushing his chest.

_ He won't let me._

_ Who?_

_ Kronos, the one you told me how to spell the name of…_

_ Oh. I-I'm sorry._

_ That's alright. I still want to help with your art._

"Come on!" Grover broke into his conversation, dragging him by the arm. Hurriedly stuffing his little friend into his pocket, he followed. They headed into a diner, which cheered him up. At least there would be napkins aplenty. He could even try the writing again, if they ever stopped long enough. The only problem was, he had the feeling whatever he wrote would find a way of being destroyed.

Grabbing a napkin, he took out his pencil and bit of grass. "What are you doing?" Annabeth was sitting next to him, staring. He ignored her.

_Finally! I'm glad you've come, lord._

_ Don't call me that._

_ S-sorry l-_

_ It's okay, you can if you want, just… don't go out of your way._

_ Okay. Uh, start right in the middle please._

_ Now, could you switch to the blue crayon?_

Green's eyes slid shut, and he let his consciousness drift away, letting the commands of the grass blade on the back of his left hand flow straight to his drawing hand. He let everything else fade, only coming back to earth when the waitress asked, "Well?" Ah, he'd have to finish somewhere else. Then, he noticed that he was still sketching. Carefully not looking at the napkin in his hand, not wanting to disturb it by accident, he opened his eyes.

The waitress did not look amused. Neither did the biker guy outside. As the man walked in, the weed chimed in.

_He looks scary. I'm done now, by the way. Didn't take as long as I thought. Take a look!_

When he beheld what lay on the napkin, he had to try hard not to tear up. Obviously the weed had done most of it, but here and there Green recognized a few little things, thicknesses wavering from the way he held the pencil, or the crayon. The picture was of the street the weed had grown, and light sketches of people were all jumbled together, some occupying the same place. He sat on the curb, but in the sketch his eyes were shut, and the weed was nowhere to be found.

In the carwash, Percy shared the spot he stood on with an old woman with a knitted hoodie, wearing a pair of blue earmuffs. Nothing was very developed, mostly just gestures, but the people all looked right there, like they belonged. Each seemed so distinct, so much their own. This was the street the weed had grown into. This was all it had ever known, all the people that had stuck out during its short life. This was what it didn't want to die with it. They had made this together, had set it free. It felt so right, that he didn't even notice the god of war until he snapped his fingers in front of Green's face.

"Hey kid! You awake over there? I'm bein' nice to ya, show some respect." Oops. Ignoring Ares wasn't a good idea.

"So what favor could I do for a god?" Percy's question shocked him the rest of the way out of his trance. It looked like he'd missed a lot. Ares explained how he wanted them to get his shield. That wasn't good. He probably left it there for a good reason, either because he wanted to trap _them_, or because he was afraid someone would trap _him_. Possibly both.

This had probably occurred to the others too, but it wasn't like they could refuse. Well, maybe Percy didn't get that part…

"We already have a quest." Shut up, he wanted to shout. Wait, that wasn't like him. He'd never been really angry in his life, the only times he'd even been irritated had been when the others had ignored him. Oh. Percy was doing something stupid, disregarding Green's body language. Most likely, the annoyance he would feel under ordinary circumstances was being fueled by Ares. He recalled the sense of completion he had felt when he had drawn on the napkin, which was still in his pocket, and the anger left him.

By then, Percy had stopped being impudent and agreed to help the war god. Green wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

* * *

It took a long time to find the water park. Not that Green minded. It gave him the opportunity to follow the weed's final request. The napkin was in his hand, its simple glory facedown toward the pavement. He marveled at how fast he'd been able to write what he had on the back of it, even with his eyes open and while walking. At the first clearly lived in house they passed, he slipped the napkin into their mail slot, then ran after the others.

A warm, fuzzy feeling lingered in his heart for what he had helped to do. It was something he knew all too well, to be unable to show the world what you thought, how you felt. That little plant had been peering through that crack in the road its whole life. Now, it finally had the opportunity to show everyone who it was. It had been surprisingly easy to write on the back of that napkin, as was his friend's last request. _Pass it on_.

Halfway down the street, he heard confused voices coming from the house. Ducking behind a dumpster as someone stepped outside and looked around, Green felt that warm fuzzy feeling grow. They would pass it on.

About an hour later, when the sun was sinking like a burning ship in the sky, they came to the park. It looked like a pretty bad spot for a picnic. All the rides were dry as a bone, and although Green was sick of Percy getting on the gods' nerves, he privately agreed when Percy said, "If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date, I'd hate to see what she looks like."

Annabeth and Grover were quick to inform him who exactly Ares was dating. He wondered what it was like being the goddess of love and beauty. It seemed to him that her children tended toward the heartbreak side of love. "Maia!" Grover was getting better with his shoes, flying over the gate with only one accidental somersault.

Percy and Annabeth each climbed over the fence fairly easily, while he himself opted for sliding under. It got him dirty, but it was easier to get into a public venue if you were dirty than if you were covered in blood. He'd learned that the hard way.

Apparently it was okay to steal clothes from an abandoned water park if you were on a quest. He didn't really approve of this, but he was out of shirts that didn't have claw-marks or tears from fences. If it did help defeat Kronos, even a little, then he supposed it was okay. Another thing he was acutely aware of was the fact that he was rationalizing. Oh well.

The pool looked a bit suspicious to Green, but sometimes the only way to figure out the trap was to spring it. He slid down the side with Percy and Annabeth, while Grover stayed at the top. Inside the little boat lay the shield, and some kind of pink scarf. When Percy grabbed the shield, and cut some kind of tripwire, he rushed toward the side, climbing for his life. He'd climbed up wet trees before, so he didn't have too much trouble, but he did have a head start.

Leaning into the pool from the street, he stretched out a hand, but had to pull away when the threads started winding around his chest. At the same time, spiders started pouring out from behind the mirrors, and he thought it had a certain poetic irony. A trap full of spiders, ha ha.

Annabeth didn't find it so amusing. He figured she'd be okay with spiders, but he was dead wrong. Green looked around, wishing he had a sword. Then, he saw the two trapped demigods climb into the little boat. Half of him wanted to burst out laughing, and the other half was terrified. No way would either of them be caught dead doing that unless their lives depended on it.

Then, Percy shouted to them, telling them to turn on the water. He and Grover rushed into the booth and started pushing buttons frantically, but it was no good. Grover raised his hands to Percy, who closed his eyes.

All in all, seeing Percy's escape plan, he decided Thalia was right. It was indeed better to know how to come up with crazy, desperate plans on the spot than to know how to fight. As Percy summoned the water from the pipes and he and Annabeth were swept into the tunnel, he would have started silent-laughing again if he hadn't seen the gates to the ride. They were shut tight.

Percy's next plan was slightly crazier. He watched as they leapt off the craft, sailing clear over the gate as their boat crashed into the gate. Mid-air, Grover caught them, setting them down gently on the ground. Green walked the rest of the way over to them, and started to laugh. He couldn't help himself.

"Shut up," Percy said. Green kept laughing. It hurt, but he was too hysterical to stop.

"Shut up," Annabeth told him. Green shut up.


	11. Chapter 10

**WARNING: DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN THE ****_UPDATED VERSION_**** OF CHAPTER 9! YOU WILL BE CONFUSED!**

**Anywho, I decided to write this, but first I need to give you... A METAPHOR! Yup, this story is like a car, and to keep it going it needs gas, aka the reviews! A flame is like a car crash! :]**

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"Well, well. You didn't get yourself killed." Green shuddered. Ares sounded disturbingly similar to the maple leaf after his encounter with a certain demonic trio he might mention. Perhaps he shouldn't act so surprised, war tended to be rude and blunt. Oops. Suddenly hoping Ares couldn't hear thoughts or anything like that, and making a mental apology just in case, he felt his hand drift to the pocket of his sweater, green of course. Then, it kept right on drifting.

There was a hole in his pocket. Green let his hand slide further and further down, into the lining. Something long, thin, and _very _familiar lay there. When he pulled his hand out, a small pine needle lay in his palm. Instantly, he knew it was Thalia's. Zeus hadn't actually bothered to be too specific with the type of pine he turned his daughter into. He just picked the tallest and most regal looking, and it didn't quite fit the New York area.

A crushing feeling seeped into him then, like he had been hit by a truck. The needle was a dry reddish color, rather than its usual rich, dark emerald. For a second, he had thought he'd be able to talk to Thalia. _Stupid,_ he thought. Of course it would be dead by now.

"You're a jerk." Green let some of the Greek he'd heard Annabeth and Thalia say echo through his mind. As near as he could figure, he was calling Percy a kelp-headed son of a gorgon, which wasn't that far from the truth, besides the bit about the gorgons. Why did Percy insist on insulting _every_ god they ran into?! Surviving was hard enough as it was. He edged in front of his gloriously stupid friend, hoping that Ares wouldn't zap a respectful innocent bystander.

Then, as casually as Green might offer someone a raspberry, Ares gestured towards a zoo van on the street. Huh. Apparently being immortal makes getting rides easy. Thanks for the help, Dionysus. Half paying attention to Percy, insulting Ares, of course, the other half of his mind was wondering about a weapon. Meh. He'd find one later, when they passed a forest or something. Fortunately for his role on this stupid quest, he noticed the others walking away before they were completely hidden in the truck.

Instead of letting his resentment go, as he usually did, he grabbed it and imagined stuffing it into a test tube. He didn't want to let it fester, but he _did_ want to study it. This here was why Kronos was rising. In fact, according to myth the only reason Ouranos wasn't still ruling the world was that feeling, caged in Green's chest. Trying to imagine why someone would let that emotion grow inside them was like imagining why smokers would keep smoking, even after realizing those things were slowly killing them.

The fact was, most people didn't realize how bad resentment was until they were addicted. That was why Kronos had killed his father. With that, Green let the nasty feeling flow out of him, remembering that he hadn't displayed _any_ signs whatsoever of a greater learning capacity than a four-year-old. Oh well, he'd learn to talk soon.

By the time he was finished with his train of thought, he was in the truck, helping Percy and Annabeth shut the metal door. His nose wrinkled at the smell of animal poo, and lots of it. Great. They couldn't have put one of those strawberry shaped car air freshener things, even though at close range they smelled worse than cat stool?!

Upon glancing around, in the light of Percy's sword, he spotted at least ten things the truckers should have gone to jail for besides lack of air fresheners. Humiliating the animals, improper feeding, obvious abuse, terrible grooming, _gum_, and by the way they balked at the sight of the sword, they were afraid of blades. Ah, real anger. Unlike Ares messing with him, this went straight from his head, processing their cruelty, to his fist, which decided to curl up and contemplate where it would hurt most to punch them, to his feet, and he was halfway to the door when the truck started moving.

Green sat down hard, and tried half-heartedly to yelp a little, then made a mental note to free the animals, beat the living daylights out of the truckers, or both as soon as the van stopped moving. In the meantime, he helped the others with the animals. Wincing as he stuck his hand through the bars of the lion's cage after the turnips, only wincing because they were _turnips,_ they might have had families- no. Don't dwell on that.

"Careful!" Green turned around to find the others staring at him, and shrugged. He doubted the lion would be hungry enough to eat him. Besides, lions could eat veggies. If they felt sick after too much meat, they'd eat grass. Meh, no point signing all that.

After that, he just sat in the corner, leaned his head back, and listened. It turned out Annabeth had arachnophobia. He supposed it made good sense, what with her mother being Athena and all, but it still seemed stupid that she and her siblings had to deal with the fallout from something their mom did. That was what he hated about the gods. They never dealt with the consequences, their children did. It seemed cruel. Then again, the fates existed, so what did he expect?

"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus." Green nearly threw up. 'She doesn't blame you, it's okay, she isn't even dead, and when we get back, you can talk to her.' He was as bad as Ares, letting Grover carry that around, when all he needed were twenty words and he could melt a ton of guilt, but he just… couldn't. In that moment, he hated himself, and he hated the gods, because the best they could do was turn her into a _pine tree_.

He was really glad he didn't have that apple.

_Heh, not entirely true. You haven't digested my seeds yet._

_ I didn't eat any seeds! Oh, wait… _One had gotten in his mouth when he was laughing, and he'd just swallowed it. Crud. He needed to think about the implications of his power.

_You could still join Kronos._

_ Kronos wouldn't turn her into a pine tree, he'd be the one sending monsters after her and cackle as she was overrun._

_ …_

_ See? Busted. Now shut up!_

His self-loathing grew with every word Percy and Annabeth used to comfort Grover. All he needed was thirty seconds, and he could help Grover. Eventually, the satyr fell asleep, and Percy and Annabeth started talking. Green did his best not to listen, but… it was interesting. Again, he knew he should have talked, to help his friend. No. She wasn't his friend. If he was any kind of friend, he wouldn't just be _sitting _there, letting Percy of all people do the talking, not that he was half bad at it. Still… it shouldn't have been _just_ Percy helping.

After Percy and Annabeth had followed Grover into sleep, Green lay awake for a long time. He knew it wasn't right to hate himself for this, but that didn't mean he didn't do it anyway. Sighing, silently as always, he closed his eyes once more, and this time he succeeded in drifting off.

The banging trick Annabeth pulled bordered on ridiculous, and the idea that Percy and Grover could talk to animals too… He swore, mentally of course, and decided from then on to only eat nuts, berries, fruit, and dairy. Yay. Ah well, it was that or sit in the lions cage and have Grover tell it that it had his permission to eat him if it wanted.


	12. Chapter 11

**So... I realize the last paragraph of chapter 10 was pretty pathetic, so I rewrote it in here a bit better. Now remember... if you think the story sucks... tell me! Just make sure to tell me why! If you want to give me a flame, FLAME ON! :J**

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Hide!" Not the best word to wake up to. Green groggily stood and staggered over to some feed bags, concealing himself behind them. Once hidden, he almost resumed his… nap? Sleep? He wasn't sure what time it was actually. Then, light streamed in through the door, opened by one of the truckers. Oh, nap then. Or had he slept until morning? Whatever.

"Man! I wish I sold appliances," the trucker said. _So do we, jerk._ Hmm… could he get away with murdering the guy right then and there? Well, probably not, but could Percy somehow attract enough monsters that these guys _suffocated_ or something? Also doubtful, which was a shame. These truckers were the only two people he'd ever hated in his life, besides Kronos, and Green didn't even hate _him_. How do you hate someone you've never met?

Watching the trucker splash water on the lion, Green realized he had clenched his fists so hard that his nails had dug into his palm, now bleeding a little. Once he released his iron grip, he decided that he was _going_ to get these guys arrested, no matter what he had to do. All he needed was a lawyer. Maybe there was a tree around with nothing else to do.

"How ya doin', Stripes? Least we'll be getting rid of you this stop. You like magic shows? You're gonna love this one. They're gonna saw you in half!" The trucker sneered at the zebra, and Green could tell, even though he couldn't speak zebra, that the poor animal would have launched itself off of the arch to escape, provided the arch was still standing, which it wasn't. Percy had made sure of that.

Then, out of nowhere there was a knocking sound outside.

"What do you want, Eddie?"

"Maurice? What'd ya say?" Aww, man! Even though it would help the animals, Green was actually _offended_ on behalf of the world as he knew it that they were falling for that. Eddie even told Maurice that he wasn't banging, and the idiot trucker just rolled his eyes and swore at his friend. It really bothered him that the universe actually worked like that.

Grover gave them the blessing of the wild, which apparently guaranteed safety… only for animals, naturally. And the fact that humans were also technically animals was ignored… _of course_. Sometimes he hated the logic of the universe, magic especially. Ah well, Percy breathing under water made no sense either, and that was useful.

The four… er… "heroes" climbed out of the truck. They weren't quotationless heroes until they had done something _useful_, maybe two somethings to make up for Percy blowing up a national monument. Although, saving the animals had to count. One more something.

Famous stuff, miniature wonders of the world, it all sort of blurred together after a while. When they finally stopped for some shade, hopefully some AC, they were in front of a Casino. More specifically, the Lotus Casino. Green hoped Percy would pull one of his 'help us poor circus orphans' stories, so that they could tell if the doorman was a monster, but he let them right in.

The lobby was… er… extreme. He couldn't get over the giant _waterslide_ in the middle of the room… A WATERSLIDE, INSIDE! Instantly, he made a beeline for it. Never in his remembered life had he done anything like that, adrenaline for the sake of adrenaline. The others went off to their room, and he noted which it was. 4001? The number nagged him, like something was wrong with it, but he had games to play!

Plummeting through the air, only to be snatched at the last second and launched right back up? Insane. Virtual reality laser tag? Incredible. Everything was amazing, and Green just wandered around, playing pretty much everything he came across. Then, what he thought was about twenty minutes later, he brushed his hand unconsciously against a potted spider plant.

_Danger lord! Stop, get out while you still can! Master, please, don't-_

_ Danger? Here? No way!_

_ If you stay sire, you will never leave! Time is different here great one, it moves much faster than outside._

_ Huh? What do you mean?_

_ You don't think there is anything odd,_ it said, dropping its respectful tone in favor of sarcasm, _that you've watched that speech therapy move six times, and yet your brain thinks you've been here twenty minutes? That there are four thousand rooms in this building, and yet _none_ of the games have lines? COME ON!_

_ Oh. Now that you say it like that…_

_ Tell the others!_

_ I can't…_

_ SIX TIMES! SIX TIMES YOU SAW THAT MOVIE!_

_ It took him a while, and he could already talk, just not in front of people-_

_ THEN DRAG THEM OUT, KICKING AND SCREAMING!_

_ You wouldn't happen to be related to a maple tree at camp half-blood, would you?_

_ GO!_

Green went, running as surreptitiously as possible towards Percy, but when he grabbed the guy's shoulder and turned him around, he was met with very confused, very brown eyes. Oops.

The next person he found _was_ Grover, but he was so involved in his game that Green had to _slap_ him in the face to get him to turn around. _Here goes nothing_, he thought, and mimed walking, then pointed at the door. Grover went back to his game. Option two then. At least it was Grover, not Percy, or Annabeth. If he was mortal, would her dagger kill him?

Green grabbed his friend's arm and yanked as hard as he could. Grover yelped, shoving him away. He returned to the attack, but the satyr dug his er… did satyrs have heels? Meh, he dug his heels into the ground, refusing to move. If he wasn't dumb as a broken radio, he would have started swearing.

Similar levels of success came to his attempts to move Percy and Annabeth, who did not have the clarity to remember her knife and stab him, fortunately. Finally, he admitted defeat and sulked in a corner, ignoring the concerned bell hopper. He waited what felt like hours, and he had no idea how long it was outside, before Percy came up to him.

"We need to get out of here." Green had been thinking of what kind of look to give in just this situation, so he sucked in a long breath, lowered his head so he was looking up at Percy, and pinched his lips together, letting the air out through his nose, ruffling his long brown hair. The look was meant to say, 'YA THINK?!'

"Jeez! No need to look at me like that!" _Yes there is._ He stood, looking around. Grover and Annabeth were standing behind Percy, looking for all the world as if it was _him_ who had spent the last four hours in the casino, possibly years in the real world, playing video games. To be fair, they had been under a spell, but still.

Once outside, Percy peered at the nearest newspaper, and seemed pretty shocked at the date. Green contemplated giving him another look, but it took a while to perfect an expression to the point where it expressed exact words. He needed a 'you are an IDIOT, Percy Jackson' look. Badly.


	13. Chapter 12

**Okay... I have FINALLY updated. And it's only 600 words or so. Sorry! Also, I was incorrect. Yelling at me does indeed help. I was thinking... If we hit like... 15 reviews by next Tuesday, we could do a vote on whether you want me to use another POV, and whose it should be. Also, side note, I am not saying you shouldn't eat veggies! Green wouldn't, because he knows they are sentient, but they aren't, so eat up! (Spinach artichoke dip with tortilla ship is AMAZING!)**

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Having finally gotten back to their quest, although Green had to admit that he had been enjoying the waterslide and bungee jumping a little… well, a lot… well, okay, they had probably been the most fun thing he had ever done since camp half-blood, but at last they were back to their quest, flagging a taxi. Annabeth thought that maybe they could use the casino card thingies to pay for the fare, which would make Green feel a lot better about their stay.

_ You lost like five days! You could have WALKED to LA by now. _He had brought a spider plant… leaf? Needle? Frond? Meh.

_ We could NOT have walked across California in five days._

_ My geography is nonexistent. I seriously had no idea we were in California. Isn't California a part of Mexico? On the continent of Narnia?_

_ I'm not going to dignify that with a response. You sure you aren't part maple?_

_ NO! Why do you keep asking me that?!_

_ You remind me of someone, to the point where it is genuinely terrifying._

_ Huh. Nope, I'm half spider, half plant. No maple._

_ Okay, there is no way that's true._

_ I may suck at geography, but I know my biologamaphy._

_ Not entirely sure how to respond to that._

_ I'm not serious, moron._

Green sighed. _Half an hour ago you were calling me great one._

_ HA! Get your casinoified time facts straight! Five days ago! Whose fault was that again?_

_ Last I checked, it wasn't mine. I snapped out of it when you yelled at me, and it would've taken World War III to move that satyr. _

_ Who was the only one awake again? Oh, right, you. Why couldn't you yell at them to snap the (censored) out of it? OH, RIGHT, YOU'RE STUPID VOW OF SILENCE!_

_ It isn't a vow of silence, it wasn't my choice!_

_ Potato, potato._

_ NO! Potato, banana._

_ Banana?_

_ Yeah, as in completely different from potato._

_ Touché._

Looking up, he realized that the others were beckoning to him from inside a taxi. Oops. He stuffed the… frond into his pocket, ignoring its protests. Geronimo.

"Los Angeles, please." Huh. Well that was ea-

"That's three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front." -sy. Nevermind. Ah well, at least they had a backup plan. So anyway… people walk at about five miles an hour, so maybe 8 hours a day taking into account rests and monster battles… five times eight, forty miles per day, forty times five would be two-hundred miles. Take that, obnoxious little-

Well anyway, the driver was swiping the card. Green was curious as to how much was actually on there, his eyes getting bigger and bigger every second. Infinity. Why were they on a taxi, as opposed to a private jet?! Oh, yeah, Percy's flying problem. Still, they could have taken a train or something.

The driver looked appropriately dumbfounded, dropping his cigar. Green hated those things, the smell was disgusting. Ha, ha. Your highness. Time to improvise! He placed a hand on his chin, stroking an imaginary beard, drew his lips upward, still closed, until they were placed right on his upper gums. To complete the image, he wiggled his eyebrows. The perfect look to convey, "Ooh! Fancy Shmancy!"

He received a death glare that replied, "Shut up, your plantliness." She didn't even know about the plant thing, but he was improvising. Percy was keeping a straight face, amazingly, though the corners of his mouth looked like they were having a seizure. Grover gave up and started laughing, quietly so they didn't scare their chauffeur (See? They did get something better than a normal taxi by paying _literally infinitely more than normal_. All in perspective.).

Annabeth was grinning too, and Green felt like something he hadn't known was broken had just snapped back into place. Best taxi ride ever! So there you go, if you pay the UBER-EXPENSIVE-SUPER-DUPER-GOLD-PLATINUM-AWESOMENESS rate, you will receive a new friendship in the bargain. How's that for customer service?


	14. Chapter 13

**Okay... um... does this mean you don't want someone else's perspective? I'll assume so, and remember, very few people review this. Not sure why, but I currently have twelve. I've seen fanfics with less chapters that have way more reviews, so I'm assuming this one has a terrible summary or something? Really though, review! Pwease? ^w^ HOPEFUL KITTY FACE! YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T RESIST!**

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Green was getting really tired of shaking his head. Their trio plus one was about halfway to Los Angelis, and the driver was _definitely_ going to crash into something. He had been zipping along at a steady ninety mph the entire time. Percy had recounted a dream he'd had, more specifically about how _un-hades-like _the thing in it had been. Kronos. He wondered if there was a Greek translation for "aww crud."

"Well if it wasn't Hades, who _was_ it?!" Annabeth had repeated this question at least six times now. _I CAN'T TALK! WHY CAN YOU NOT GRASP THIS?!_ He made do with a sigh, then put one hand around his throat. "This is important!" _So was telling you about Thalia, and we both know how that worked out._

_ They really are too stupid to live, _said an all too familiar voice from inside him.

_ Oh, not you again. Haven't I digested you yet?_

_ Obviously not. I bet Kronos can help you learn to talk._

_ Yep. Then, he'd make me do something so unspeakably horrible that I lose my ability to talk, again._

_ He would not! C'mon, they would take you seriously in his army._ Green was starting to seriously consider joining Kronos just to shut this guy up. How long would it take to digest it anyway?! Why had he eaten that stupid apple?!

_Ya know, I would never bother you again if you joined us._

_ I will find you, and when I do I will set you ON FIRE! _On the last two words, his mental voice managed to lower half an octave. Green made a mental note to practice that later.

"Hello?" Grover waved a hand in front of his face. He blinked, and tried his best… biting his lower lip and nodding. It was a passable 'I'll try' expression.

Right. Open the mouth, take a breath, and… sigh. No! No, no, NO! Try again. And again.

"Okay, you can't talk," Annabeth frowned, "Can you write it down?" Meh, no use not trying! He brought out another napkin and his pencil stub. Kronos, not difficult. Several letters less difficult, actually. He wrote, but the tip broke as soon as he touched the napkin. Then, the driver inexplicably rolled down the window, letting a gust of wind howl through the taxi, snatching up all his hard-earned napkins. Howling in frustration would be the first thing he did when he learned to talk.

They rode in silence after that for about an hour, until Annabeth suggested that we just keep going, because Percy's dream did seem like it had taken place in the underworld, and the others agreed because they really didn't have any better plan. Green didn't either, he was just hoping there would be a sign in the underworld, in giant letters:

**KRONOS IS BEHIND IT ALL!**

Actually, better make it…

** ATTENTION PERCY, ANNABETH, AND GROVER: KRONOS IS THE ONE BEHIND IT ALL! HE WANTS TO REGAIN POWER! GO BEAT HIM UP!**

He was learning that specifics never hurt. There seemed to be a curse on him that kept the others from _ever_ figuring out what he meant. Maybe Kronos was behind that as well.

The taxi dropped them off at a beach. He stepped out, stretching. Percy suddenly started walking towards the water.

"Percy? What are you doing?" Annabeth wasn't walking towards him yet, but Green figured something weird was about to happen. _Note to self: something weird is always about to happen, get used to it._ He decided that he wouldn't be particularly useful anyway, and strolled off in search of a plant. Maybe a palm tree.

_Do you have some kind of death wish?! What could possibly be a good enough reason to walk into the underworld, where you will almost certainly die?!_

_ Protecting my friends._

_ Yeah,_ the palm frond's voice was getting shriller by the second, _fat lot of good you'll be HALF DEAD FROM EXHAUSTION! Gee, they'll be lucky to have you fainting on the job and probably dying, that'll up their morale!_

_ Alright, you spilled it, so YOU have to clean all that sarcasm off my nice white mind-couch._

_ I'm not getting through here, am I?_

_ Nope._

Despite his utter failure to beat any sort of advice out of the palm tree, and the fact that he really wouldn't be able to help much in the Underworld, he was feeling pretty optimistic. After all… er… well he didn't know why, but he was pretty optimistic. Maybe it was because the weird pit thing in Percy's dream was probably where Kronos was. Aha! That was how he could help, by pointing out… oh, Percy would probably recognize his dream. Meh. His reason for going down their was _stubbornness_, because he really wanted to see what was down there.

Percy emerged from the polluted depths of wherever-the-heck-this-was holding three gleaming pearls. Okay, of all the things he could have found, this had definitely not been one of the ones Green had thought of beforehand.

Annabeth then proceeded to creep everyone out by telling a Greek proverb about how there weren't any free lunches, and he was now convinced someone would demand Percy's soul in exchange at some point. Oh well, just another Tuesday in Green's life.


	15. Chapter 14

**So, let me know... do you want me to write a chapter in someone else's POV? I ditched the review-a-thon thing because... well... that really didn't work. Anyway, just post a review, let me know what you think. :E| Weird 'stache.**

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Maybe this was a bit dramatic, but Green was seriously considering _surgically removing_ the stupid apple seed. If he had to make do with a plastic knife and a stapler, that was fine. If he had to make do with a rusty nail and a few safety pins, that was also fine. Apple seeds didn't seem to grasp the concept of shutting up and taking their sales pitches elsewhere.

_ Come on, going to the underworld is suicide! You might as well bring one of them down with you!_

_ What kind of logic is that?! I chose to come along, they aren't making me. Although, I have suddenly come to the realization that…_

_ You have an overwhelming desire to join Kronos and reach your full potential?_

_ No, but you would probably die if I went down there, so I wouldn't have to deal with this all the time. There, I'm decided. For the last time, shut up._

_ I would just like to add, there is a lot of money in back-stabbing…_

This was getting really pathetic. Maybe it had heard him when he had thought about joining up just to have some peace and quiet. Also, it made Green a bit nauseous talking through his stomach. He had been joking about the 'I'll join just to shut you up' thing, mostly. It was a really annoying apple.

Green sighed and leaned back, his head between the seat of the bus and the window. Suddenly, his brains were being melted. Mental note: do not lean head against bus windows. Brain-melting vibration and concussion may occur. Ah, it was nice relaxing on a cushy, well, cushyish seat rather that running for his life.

"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV," the bus driver told Percy. Well, so much for that. Why did reporters always have to take pictures of them when they most looked like murderous outlaws? Nevermind. Soon, they were roaming the streets of L.A. in search of the DOA studio. Apparently, Plans A and B were too ask people or look in a phonebook. Plan C was to wander around, hoping they just happened across it.

Out of sheer boredom, Green snatched a leaf off a passing sapling.

_Hmm?_

_ Uh, hi. How's it going?_ Green winced. That really wasn't the best introduction he'd ever had with a leaf, but…

_You should be able to survive in the underworld._

_ Uh, how do you know about that?_

_ Bird poop._ He was so shocked he stopped walking, staring in utter disbelief at the leaf in his hand, then looking up suspiciously.

_ Care to explain that?_

_ Oh. Birds eat seeds, then the seeds fall on me, I talk with the seeds. _He jogged to catch up with the others, who were looking at him curiously.

_What was that about surviving in the underworld?_

_ It's pretty simple really. Snatch a leaf off an underworld plant._ His first thought was that he was a complete idiot and really should have thought of that. If there was a portion of Hades' realm that was entirely covered in thriving, or at least living… he thought… grasses, then it should be pretty easy to snatch a blade. Still, he couldn't let go…

_You communicate through the epic telepathic power of bird dung?!_

_ Yes. Problem? We make sure to always-_ Green dropped the leaf, suddenly not wanting to know any more about the topic. Ever.

Green didn't know enough to realize that when a person calls, "Hey, you," from the darkness, stopping is a bad idea. Percy stopped, so he did too. He did know that being surrounded was universally bad, unless it was heaps of brownies doing the surrounding. Percy uncapped Riptide, and Green was really wishing there were some forests around, but no, it was a _city_, completely devoid of long, whack-ready sticks. He settled for raising his fists.

The gangsters backed off, but one _complete idiot_ stepped right on up. He couldn't be hurt by the blade, unless he were a monster in disguise, but _he_ didn't know that! What kind of moron walks up to some dude with a giant glowing sword, holding a switchblade like it meant he could defeat Chuck Norris?! Whatever, some people just didn't have the right self-preservation instincts.

_Hmm. That sounds very familiar…_ The apple made its unwelcome voice heard, even over the yelping of the not-so-tough "gangsta" with the really-not-so-impressive pocketknife. Swinging at him was probably not a good idea. The blade went right through him, and his shock would wear off quick.

"Run!" Percy yelled. Green couldn't pull off his, 'YA THINK?!' expression while running, but he made a mental note to write a sign he could hold up when the need was dire. His much bigger problem was that he wasn't that fast a runner. Of course, because the universe just loved to mess with him, he tripped. Scrambling to his feet, he turned a corner after his friends, but the 'tough' guys were hot on his heels. Hot on his heels? Trying not to picture how that expression had come to be, he watched Percy duck into a random shop, Grover and Annabeth following.

Unfortunately, by the time he was level with their hiding spot, the gang had turned the corner. If he followed, they'd all be caught. He didn't like his chances in a straight fight, so he ran, purposefully slowing down. When the gang was about to catch him, he reversed direction, plowing through them and racing down the street. Once he turned the corner, he quickly ducked into the nearest building, an abandoned warehouse.

He should have dived behind a box. Scratch that, he should have dived _into_ a box. Instead, he just stood there, mouth hanging open, at the second gang. Green decided then and there that his luck could go and jump in a lake. The second gang had guns. Crud. Not sure how much good it would do, he raised his hands, showing that he had no weapons, which was sad but true. Then, he slowly lowered them, turning his pockets inside out. Mugging him was useless. Hopefully they wouldn't shoot him.

Just then, the other group of thugs, well, wannabe thugs burst into the warehouse, switchblades blazing. Wonderful, he might get caught in the crossfire.

"Whad're you scumbags doing here?" The leader of the old thugs called to the new thugs. Green decided that he wanted to leave, badly. Especially now that the leader of the new thugs was waving his gun around, and the old thugs were looking angry, but outmatched. Then, one of the new thugs shot at the old thug ringleader, and he made a brave, tough, macho whimpering sound. He had to resist the urge to snicker. Both groups of thugs seemed to have forgotten about him, not that he minded. Slipping behind a crate, he sprinted towards the door, then out into the open air. Time to find the others. Hopefully, they hadn't run into anything serious. Really, how many ambushes could there be in one neighborhood?


	16. Chapter 15

**Okay, I must know... why so few reviews? Am I doing something wrong? Like I said, if you think I suck, you can tell me so! Just tell me why, and it's fine. Flame on! :) Still, I have way fewer reviews than some stories with barely anything up yet. :'(**

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Green walked in right about when Percy was decapitating a really, really tall guy. He figured he was missing something, well, a lot of somethings, because Percy didn't usually chop off peoples' heads, and Grover and Annabeth were both tied to a pair of… waterbeds? Sometimes, he wished his life would just stop being so incredibly surreal. One minute, you're running from gangstas. Next thing you know, your friend is playing executioner for some psycho who liked tying people to waterbeds.

Death by waterbed wasn't the most intimidating thing he'd ever heard of, but it definitely ranked pretty high up on his list of things never to think too hard about, lest he lose his sanity down the toilet of the very tall monster who liked tying people to beds, a toilet he shared with a trio of unfriendly grandmothers who liked to sync their bladders when about to ride buses, and owned lava whips. His life was strange, and he accepted that, but did it have to go out of its way to specifically target things he took for granted as being _normal_? Like, say, waterbeds?

Regardless, Percy was done vanquishing their foe. He turned to Annabeth.

"You look taller," Percy told her.

"Very funny." Green had had enough. It was okay that for some reason height was now tangled up in this web of surreal, waterbed related madness. However, he was going to find out _why_. Right, get ready. Letting his mouth hang open a little, scrunching his eyebrows, and blinking hard, he tried his best to say, 'Uh, what?'

"Long story," Percy told him. Like he was gonna accept that. He raised an eyebrow. Eyebrows were very useful tools. "Okay, we came in here to hide from those kids, and then this monster, Krusty, tried to sell us waterbeds. So, when Grover lay down he pushed Annabeth and made ropes stretch them, because they were too small for his beds. Then, I asked him about the no waves feature on one bed, and got him to lie down. After that, I tied him up by saying 'ergo' and cut his head off." Oh. Sure, why not. Never mind, he didn't want any more details. His head would explode, and he didn't want to get brain fluid on the waterbeds.

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Luckily, the entrance to the underworld was only a block away. Oh, goody. Green was still trying to figure out why he was so determined to follow his friends down there. Sure, he wanted to protect them, but a heck of a lot of good he'd do if he collapsed and died in the middle of their quest. As near as he could figure, he wanted to know what it was like down there. There was also the fact that his Incredibly Annoyingness, the apple seed, would wither and die.

_Sorry, but did you just call me "his Incredibly Annoyingness?"_

_ Ah, _Green replied,_ speak of the devil. Literally._

_ What do you mean literally?_

_ I mean that you are literally the devil. Deny it, I dare you._

_ I'm not the devil, but I work for him._

_ Can I bring you to Salem and quote you on that? _There was silence. Hope flared in his chest, until…

_No, they wouldn't believe that an apple tree could be a witch._

_ It is called sarcasm. You may be familiar with it. Or, you might not._ The apple didn't have a comeback for that. Blessed be, the silence in his gut. Crud, there went his life, acting all surreal again.

Green probably would've walked into the door if Grover hadn't tapped him on the shoulder. Whoops, that was kind of embarrassing. He was soon faced with a room full of dead people, which was more than a little disconcerting. It must suck having to work here.

"Okay," Percy told said, "You remember the plan." Oh yes, the _plan_. The plan where they threw a bedpost at Cerberus and crossed their fingers that it looked fetchable, which Green decided was about as destined for success as his career as a radio talk show host. *Crackle, static…* Three hours later, 'And that concludes today's broadcast.' Maybe he could act in silent movies. He desperately wanted to tell everyone that the plan was ridiculous, or at least churn out some good sarcasm, but he couldn't talk. Even if he could, it wasn't like he had a better idea.

Annabeth voiced what he was thinking, sort of. "What if the plan doesn't work?" What if? More like, 'What do we do when the plan doesn't work, and Cerberus tears our arms off?' Percy's response almost made Green turn on his heel and walk right out of there. "Don't think negative." In fact, he was pretty sure walking out and refusing to come back in until they came up with a better plan, or at least accepted the fact that they were all going to die was the best possible course of action. Somehow though, he felt the need to march right down into the Underworld, likely death or no. Perhaps the waterbed salesman of imminent doom had bruised his sanity.

These thoughts again found themselves coming out of Annabeth's mouth, or at least half of them did. Pearls, three of them, milky white and fragile looking, came out of Percy's pocket. Their backup was a trio of _clam boogers_? Aw, crud. Yup, they were all gonna die. Maybe he should write his will down, and shove it in his pocket. Oh, right, he had a mental block against writing! His life could go burn in Hades. In fact, he might get a chance to drop it in a lava pit along the way.

A few minutes later, after Percy had completely failed to fool the guy behind the desk, _Care-_on, who turned out to be laughably easy to bribe, they were standing on a barge, floating down the Styx. Pole, pole, pole your barge, gently down the Styx… Drearily, drearily, drearily, drearily, into the land of the dead. Soon Green was going to have to tattoo the word 'crud' onto his forehead so people could tell what he was thinking. He and his friends started looking death-like, and he started to feel, well, death-like.

_"Without our support, you grow sick, weak… And die."_ It was sort of like running a marathon, but instead of moving the energy just starts draining out of you. His knees were threatening to buckle, and for some reason his vision was getting a bit blurry. So this was how he would die. He wondered whether he should stab himself or something, so that he could at least get an afterlife. Then again, he might still die. Didn't the plant say something about how he should be fine unless he fell into Tartarus? Apparently it was wrong, because he was feeling a bit too close to all the ghosts on the barge.

"Green? What's wrong?" He was so out of it, he wasn't really sure who had spoken. It might have been Grover, but that was impossible because the satyr had lost his mouth. Oh, wait, it was just the black spot in the middle of his vision. Surely he couldn't be that far from the surface, peppered all over with green, growing life. A longing threatened to drag him to his knees, until he realized he was already on his face. The shade under the once-Thalia-now-pine-tree, the way the dappled moonlight reflected off hidden ponds in the depths of the forest at camp. Sometimes he would seek one out, and occasionally he would stumble upon an entirely new spot.

None of that was helping. He needed to get his butt over to Persephone's garden, stat. The problem was, he couldn't stand up. Someone was holding his arm, dragging him upwards. He understood what they were doing. They were trying to keep him conscious and alive, but some tiny part of him was irritated. It kind of wanted to just lay there until he died, never mind the quest.

As he hung, his breathing shallow and irregular, he felt the weariness recede. His legs could take most of his weight, and his vision showed him only one Percy. Grover's mouth was back, and the fog at the edges of his brain was gone. Green wasn't fully recovered, but he could stand on his own, and that was something.

"What was that, Green?!" Percy half shouted the words, and he realized that his ears were ringing a little. He felt recovered enough to raise his eyebrows and put a hand around his throat, like, 'Mute, remember?' All he got for his trouble was a very irritated huff. Mission accomplished! Three pairs of eyes were looking at him, so concerned that he felt like they were melting his forehead to expose the thoughts in his head.

"Hey," their ferryman exclaimed, looking peeved, "I didn't sign up for babysitting some sick grade-schooler!" Green glared at him, narrowing his eyes and lowering his eyebrows into a look of defiance. The problem was, he really needed a stick or something. A wary glance at the bedpost later and he held a very temporary crutch. He'd have to give it up as soon as they saw their three-headed foe, but until then he was golden. Or at least as golden as you could get in the Underworld.

Trudging along after a gaggle of newly dead spirits while leaning on a bedpost is not as funny as it sounds. The really sad part was that it felt great. Green felt like someone had just inflated him with adrenaline, which was pretty close to the truth. All the dreary little flowers in their dreary little beds were feeding him excess energy, and compared to how he had been feeling ten minutes ago, well, he was refreshed and ready to go play fetch with a giant three-headed dog.

Said giant three-headed dog proved harder to win over than Percy had thought, and when the son of Poseidon had tossed his crutch into the river, he was not happy. The dog gave them a look, like, 'I am not letting you through just because you made a splashing sound. Hand over the treats.' Green figured they were done for, big surprise, but Annabeth shocked them all by bringing out a red rubber ball. This seemed to excite the dog, much to his chagrin. Chagrin, nice word.

Yet again, he found himself a little irritated that the universe held giant, deadly monsters that could be tamed with any old red dodge ball. Still, he was glad he wouldn't have to find out what it felt like to have huge teeth piercing his skin. Oh, wait, he already knew that feeling. It was awful, and Nemean lions were terrible pets to keep around small children and mortals. The huge Rottweiler was on that ball like strange and slightly amusing monsters were on all the buses, national monuments, and waterbeds that he and his friends had come close to.

A hysterical laugh was starting, and he decided that it was better for his friends to think he was insane than to let the rest of the universe think it was sane. Bending over, tears streaming down his cheeks, he laughed silently. By the time he straightened, the looks on the others' faces, especially Annabeth, were enough to get him laughing again. Percy grabbed his arm and told him to shut up and run. They walked under the dog, right between its legs like a furry arch. It was kind of pathetic, how Cerberus whined and called out to them to come back.

It was so pathetic, and depressing, that he stopped laughing at how crazy the world was. He switched gears and began brooding over how stupidly unfair the world was. No one around here was treated right. Annabeth was cooped up for years, training for the real world without being sure if she'd ever see it again. Grover was trying so hard to save the wild, while cruel truckers threw his beliefs in his face, tormenting animals right in front of him. Percy had been accused of stealing something he didn't even know existed until after he had supposedly nicked it. As for Green, well, it was difficult for people to treat you well when they didn't know what you thought treating you well entailed. The other three did their best, but how would they know that he hated it when Percy dissed gods? He had never told them. As much as he knew his friends, they hadn't really met him yet.


	17. Chapter 16

**Alright, I've written another one, much sooner than I'd expected. Another thing... *pause for effect* I HAVE OVER 20,000 WORDS! :D Anyone interested in writing a milestone review? Reviewers will get shoutouts! Proud happyface: ^U^**

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Green was desperately hoping that he wouldn't end up in Asphodel when he died. To just stand in a field, for eternity sounded worse to him than punishment. At least in punishment you got to remember who you were, the people you knew. It didn't seem like much of an afterlife to him, fading until all that was left of you was a wraith that happened to look like you did. He supposed these spirits wouldn't feel pain… but they wouldn't be happy either.

Bending down, he ran his fingers through the field, but to his dismay the grass was all dead. He realized that risking the wrath of Hades would have been worth it if he had snatched a leaf off one of those flowers coming in. They had been alive, or at least feeding him energy. Ah well, he couldn't sign well enough to explain why he needed to go back, and he couldn't just run. The others would probably think he was scared or something.

As their depressing group waded through depressing grass towards a depressing god, all the while trying to pretend that they weren't sure this was a dead end, Green was deep in thought. Maybe he could ask some of the plants down here whether they knew if Hades had stolen the bolt! If he had, their quest wouldn't be doomed, but he doubted that. Assuming the god of the underworld was innocent, the plants might know who _did_ steal it. Still, even if he could figure it out, he had no way of telling anyone. Being mute was frustrating.

Looking up, Green saw that the fields of punishment and Elysium were visible from where they were. Barbed wire and blood, or dark grass and aimless drifting? All in all, it would be much simpler just to be good and end up in Elysium, because he would probably die in punishment anyway. Still, dying was better than living brain-dead forever, right? He noticed that Percy and Annabeth were gazing at Elysium. "That's what it's all about. That's the place for heroes," she said. He wasn't sure. Was it weird that he thought it wouldn't be so nice, to live like that? Always laughing and dancing, hosting barbecue. He thought that would be kind of boring. The only way he defined his existence was avoiding pain, for himself and his friends. Without that threat, that purpose… what was he supposed to do?

Eventually, a dark and glittering palace rose out of the gloom, circled by three old birds with synced bladder control issues. Grover started chickening out, and Green really wished he had a stick. So, naturally the satyr's shoes had taken on a life of their own right when it was _least_ convenient to the quest. They started dragging their unfortunate master away. At first, he thought that his furry friend was messing around, but when he started yelling, "Maia!" with no effect, a lump of cold dread settled in his stomach.

The lump grew as Grover veered away from the palace and off towards what Green knew was the pit of Tartarus. Kronos was dragging his favorite goat boy into the abyss. Ah, there was the hatred he'd been missing earlier when he thought of the stupid titan. Chasing the winged shoes was hard work, and the bedpost/crutch was probably somewhere in the Styx, covered in poisonous water. Luckily, the closer he got to the palace of Hades the better he felt. Less lucky was the draining feeling that settled over him once Grover's path turned away from Persephone's garden.

Soon, the demon sneakers were leading their ragtag group down some kind of side tunnel, and Green felt the evil presence of the titan lord weighing on his consciousness. It felt like someone had dipped his soul in lead, and though his body was moving, it was going too fast. His animus couldn't keep up, and was being dragged behind as its vessel ran after Grover.

It was lucky that it was Grover who had been wearing the shoes, because he was the only one of them that would've slipped out of their shoes. The winged sneaks didn't fit well over his hooves, and eventually the left one just came off. Shuddering, imagining what might have happened if Percy had been wearing them like Luke had wanted… Suddenly, Green realized that someone had been tampering with these things. Either Luke or someone else in Hermes had messed with the gifts. He realized that he was being too narrow. Anyone in camp, from Chiron to the monsters in the woods could've snuck into Hermes cabin and cursed the shoes. They had either a traitor or a stealthy ninja in the camp.

After they hauled a traumatized Grover to his feet, they began to run. Still weak from his energy withdrawal, Green was slow and unsteady on his feet. When a great wind pulled them toward the pit, like the tunnel was a straw and Tartarus was sucking on a juice box, he was tugged off his feet. Frantically grabbing at the gravel, far past the rock that had anchored his satyr buddy, he slid along the ground towards the deepest pit in the underworld. Suddenly the wind stopped, but too late. He slid over the edge, freefalling.

Green tumbled through the air, wishing he could scream at the top of his lungs, for a few feet before his hand snagged on a rock sticking out from the wall of the chasm. His legs were dangling into darkness, and he didn't have the strength to pull himself up.

_So,_ said a voice, and Green realized that there was a blade of black grass protruding from a crack in the wall, _you're just going to hang there and hope they get here in time?_

_ How are you growing there?_

_ Not important. Shouldn't you be climbing right about now?_

_ I can't._

_ Pfft, like I'm gonna take that. You haven't tried yet._ Grimacing at the pain in his, well, everything, he hauled himself a few inches sky, uh, roofward. His left hand scrabbled against the cliff face, seeking a handhold.

"GREEN!" Percy's voice echoed through the cavern. Like he could answer! He dragged his foot up another inch, really wishing he weren't so tired. After what seemed like hours but was probably only a couple of minutes, with Percy, Annabeth and Grover yelling his name like they expected a response, his head poked out above the lip of the cliff. Two desperate sea-green eyes stared at him for a second, before their quest leader rushed forward, grabbing for his hand.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Percy had actually said that. What did he expect? Green just glared at him, and the guy seemed to get the message. "Oh, come on! All we wanted was some sign that you weren't, you know, in Tartarus. Huh, this was going to be tricky. He quirked his eyebrows and spread his hands like, 'How exactly was I supposed to do that?' "I was just scared is all," Percy said defensively. These people couldn't seem to accept the fact that he just couldn't talk, no matter how important it was. Maybe someday he could yell at him for that. For now, he was content with being on solid ground and moving _away_ from that pit.


	18. Chapter 17

**Here it is, obviously. Shoutout to Olo Eopia03 and Unexplainable Contradiction for reviewing, and yelling at me to get my butt in front of my computer and typing! XD Seriously, those two have been reviewing since the beginning chapters, and the support means a lot. Thanks guys!**

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After almost falling into Tartarus, Green was ready to curl up and sleep for a month. Even worse, he was still running on half the juice he was used to, with almost no support from plants around him. That was starting to seem odd to him, because there was more plant life in the underworld than some places in New York City. He supposed that the Hades variety didn't feed him as much energy because they didn't have as much. With no sunlight down here, he shouldn't be surprised. It seemed that all those black flowers on the way up from the Styx to judgment were nearly dead, living off the soil.

Their merry band of demigods, goats, and plant people marched up to the gates of Hades. Unfortunately, the furies were still circling the palace. It looked _less_ inviting than before, if that was even possible. Black gates, black flowers, black sky… yep, Hades definitely had a preferred color scheme! Soon however, came what Green had been anxiously waiting for since entering the underworld. Persephone's garden was right up ahead.

To be honest, Green had been expecting the goddess of springtime to be a little more sentimental towards her life above. For instance, he would have thought she'd keep real, colorful flowers like tulips and roses. Instead, there were glowing mushrooms and luminous shrubbery. Replacing the cherry blossoms he'd been anticipating were towering pomegranate trees, looking like they wanted to kill someone but, to their dismay, were rooted to the spot. And, of course, there were the jewels, rubies and diamonds everywhere. Apparently it was okay not to have flowers as long as the colors were still there, in the form of precious stones.

As disconcerting as these plants were, he couldn't afford to be picky. Making sure the others weren't looking, because they'd probably think he was being stupid enough to eat a pomegranate, he plucked a leaf from a single weed from where it had been growing in the eerie light of one glowing stalk. It was small, with a black stem and seeds growing on its head, looking for all the world like some innocent grass blade dipped in ink.

_My lord._ Its voice was deep and gravelly, unlike that of any plant he'd heard before.

_Yeah, sorry about the leaf…_

_ I am destined to die. I disobeyed milady Persephone by growing there. A leaf is a small price to pay for my insolence, though it will undoubtedly not be the only payment._

_ Uh, that seems harsh…_

_ I cannot disagree with you lord, nor can I say a word against milady._

_ Never mind then. _Green realized just how amazing it was to have access to plants that talked back. Jeez, he never wanted to rule the world if _everyone_ would act like this. Stowing the still groveling blade in his pocket, he plodded along into the fortress behind his friends.

"You are brave to come here, son of Poseidon." The voice was oily, but commanding. He sounded as though he had long since grown used to people obeying his every order. Still, some part of him wanted to say, 'Oh, and the rest of us were only mildly courageous to follow him then?' That was probably the part that had wanted to fight the Nemean lion. All the same, it wasn't alright for Hades to ignore him, Annabeth, and Grover just because they weren't children of the big three or whatever.

"Lord and Uncle," Percy began, but that was as far as he got before a blinding light filled the room. Later, Green would look back on that moment and realize that he would've been vaporized if he hadn't closed his eyes. Fortunately, the light hurt too much for him to accidentally look upon the godly form of… Persephone. Crud!

The queen of spring grabbed him by the ear and dragged him off, yelling "I will deal with this thief!" Annabeth was having an 'I really should have watched him closer' expression that made Green angry and more than a little suicidal. He motioned to the others like 'I got this, go back to your business!' and was pulled off into a side room.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Persephone looked scarier than Hades when she was angry. "EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" Aw man! He put his hand tentatively around his throat, hoping she got the message. It seemed to calm her down a little at least. "So, you cannot speak?" Nodding, Green took the leaf out of his pocket.

"You stole… a leaf?" Oh, she knew something had been taken from her garden, but not what had been stolen. Again, Green nodded. "Oh. I thought perhaps a gem of some kind. Why did you-" Suddenly, she tensed as if someone with a big gun had told her that she would be shot if she moved a muscle.

The next thing that happened was so unexpected that his brain flat out refused to process for a second. Persephone, goddess of springtime, was _kneeling_. What?!

"My apologies," she said, slowly and carefully, as if the gunman had warned her against stuttering as well, "I did not recognize you. You are the lord of the plants." Oh, that… Green realized that his mouth was still hanging open, and made a conscious effort to shut it. He really, _really_ needed to sit down for a few hours and think through all the implications of being 'lord of the plants' and all that. He did his best to communicate that it was okay, he wasn't angry or anything, and that he wouldn't blast her even if he could.

"I must speak to my husband," she said as she stood up, "for he will wish to vaporize you and your friends." Huh, funny how these immortals tossed the word 'vaporize' around like mortals used 'hi' and demigods swung sharp bronze objects. He followed behind her as she strode back into the throne room.

His friends were gone. This probably would have given him cardiac arrest if Hades hadn't looked so peeved, which made him think that they had gotten away.

"(Censored) Poseidon and his (Censored, in Greek) pearls!" Hades boomed. Green made a mental note to learn to boom in conversations with plants, it sounded very impressive. "Ah," he continued, looking like someone had just offered him a million dollars, but the wind blew it away, but a wad of Benjamins had landed on his head, "but I can at least kill this one!"

Persephone calmly stood in front of him. They began talking in Greek, and he recognized 'son of a gorgon' and some other phrases learned from Annabeth that he reserved for times of great annoyance. Eventually Hades snapped in English, "I care nothing for the ancient prophesies of _trees_." He said 'trees' like it was some kind of insult, and Green got the impression that he wasn't just going to let him skip his way home. Then, Persephone gestured at him and his vision went black.

When he came to, he was on a pier. She'd sent him to safety! A sign revealed it to be Santa Monica Pier, and he caught sight of his friends. Then, as he came closer, he heard Percy's voice, "…can't believe he's dead." What?! As he came nearer still, dread rose in his chest and he realized that the three of them were all _crying_. Oh, no…

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**My first cliffie! MWAHAHA! It isn't much of a cliffie though, you can figure out what happened... I think... I also want to thank Guest for the idea of Persephone deferring to him. It isn't exactly the same as your idea, but it helped me figure out what I wanted to happen, so thank you!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Sorry about the wait, but here's Chapter 18! ;)**

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Green was really confused. Did someone die? But the three of them were all there, did that mean- oh. _He_ was supposedly dead. Oops. His three friends were all lined up in a miserable row, a crying sandwich. Shouting or waving at them wouldn't work, they were facing away from him and he couldn't whisper, let alone shout.

Walking forward, he tentatively tapped Grover on the shoulder. He turned, and dropped his jaw a good four inches. Sputtering, he poked Percy, and by then Annabeth whirled as well, gripping her knife. Percy had uncapped riptide, but actually dropped it in shock.

"IDIOT!" Annabeth yelled at him, "You don't steal from Persephone! How did you even survive?!" He opened his mouth, forgetting that he couldn't talk, then closed it again. Even if he could communicate, he probably would have been speechless. In explanation, he pulled a slender, jet black leaf out of his pocket.

_What is it, lord al- daylight! I have never thought I'd see, never believed, the wind, sun…_

_ You've never seen the sun before?_

_ Never. Any unlucky enough to grow in the deeps, pardon my rudeness, will die without ever knowing sun wind or rain. I sound ungrateful, I was impudent to grow where milady did not permit me, her domain is great and wide._

_ Seriously, what do you think about this?_

_ No disrespect to her, lord, but I wonder how she remains sane in that dark land knowing all along how beautiful it is up here. Lord Hades is great and powerful, but this world…_

_ So, you hate the underworld?_

_ N-no, I just-_

_ I'm not going to tell Persephone. Besides, you're up here now._

"Green? You okay?" Percy asked, looking so concerned it nearly melted him into a brown and green puddle right then and there. Nodding, he fell into step behind a happily bleating Grover and a fuming but relieved Annabeth. Now what?

"It was a trick," Percy said, "a strategy worthy of Athena." What?! Green hated it when they continued a conversation. How was he supposed to know what they'd been talking about? Had Athena turned evil or something?

"Hey," Annabeth protested. Green didn't blame her. That had sounded like she, her mother, or one of her siblings had gone evil. Was that what happened?

"You get it, don't you?"

"Yeah, I get it." What?! What was he missing here? Athena wouldn't work for Kronos, and Annabeth would be a lot more defensive if it was her mom he was accusing. Grover started to ask them to explain, and Green listened eagerly, but she trampled right over the question.

"Percy… I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry…" WHAT?! When did something happen to Percy's mother? Well, when they came to camp… oh. He'd almost gotten her back. Tentatively, he put a hand on the shoulder of the falsely accused theif.

Shrugging it off, Percy said, "The prophesy was right. You shall go west and face the god who has turned." What? Did Hades do it after all? He was so confused he felt like his brain was about to slide out of one of his ears.

"But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?" Grover asked, sounding even more confused than Green. Oh! War would be great for the only other god they'd met west of camp.

"Gee," Percy said sarcastically, "let me think."

_Lord,_ the weed piped up from his pocket, _who does he speak of?_

_ How are you talking to me?_ Green already knew, even as he said it.

_ There's a hole in your pocket sir._

_ Ah. He means Ares._

_ Lord Ares has turned? I'm trying to be surprised, but…_

Green grinned in spite of himself. He kinda liked this guy. Then, he noticed that Percy was talking.

"Who did you use? Clarisse?" That didn't make any sense. As mean as she was, he couldn't picture her betraying anyone. Also, he doubted she could steal candy from a dead baby.

Percy and Ares kept talking, and Ares had to be really thick because he was monologuing the friends' ears off. Oh, you shall marvel at my genius before you die, stand in awe of how I sniffed out the master bolt like some kind of bloodhound and caught the thief! Be amazed at how I was convinced that letting him go would be in my best interests because of the war that was brewing! No one but I could have enchanted the bolt to return to its holder, disguised as a backpack, except when you drew near to the underworld! Yes, cower before me! MWAHAHAHA!

Then, Percy did something more impulsive than when he walked into Medusa's lair, more insane than mailing her head to Olympus. The idiot challenged Ares to a fight. Son of a-

"Percy, don't do this. He's a god!" Annabeth urged him, sounding very worried. Finally, the voice of reason.

"He's a coward," Percy replied. _And?_ Green wanted to say. What did it matter if he was afraid to fight?! He could still squish them all with one leg tied behind his back and his head on fire.

For some reason, the others seemed willing to accept that, and started giving him good luck token. He considered handing Percy a shoe, but then realized he could just throw it at Ares, so he did. It wouldn't hurt him, but all Green wanted was to make a statement.

"This ain't your fight kid." Duh, Green wasn't gonna challenge a god, no matter how stupid and annoying. Sighing, Green stepped back to watch.

The amount of times he was sure Percy was going to die, Green lost count of. Somehow, the guy was holding his own. Granted, Ares wasn't using his godly powers, and why would always be a mystery, but still. It looked for a long time like he was losing, but then, Percy sent a huge wall of water rushing towards the god, smashing into him and disorienting him. Then, he feinted towards the head and slashed his ankle.

Something stopped the certain revenge. A cloud passed over the sun, a chill entered the air, and the leaf in Green's pocket whimpered. Uh oh… Kronos didn't want Percy to die, which didn't bode well. It boded better than Ares killing him on the spot, but it didn't bode _well_.

"You have made an enemy, godling," he told the son of Poseidon. "You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware." Oh, _crud_. Bad, bad bad _bad_!

_I know that feeling_, the leaf in his pocket told him._ It is always there, at the edge of thought. Seeping from Tartarus lord! That is Kronos, lord of time._

_ Yep._

_ You… already know?_

_ Uh huh. Kronos is rising, we're all going to die painfully, yadda yadda._

_ Huh._

Green looked up, and saw that Ares was already gone. A fury descended from the sky, and he tensed. Then, he felt the urge to bust out laughing again. If the idiot god hadn't told the four of them all about his master plan, they probably would've been smashed to bits by now. Percy tossed Alecto the helm of darkness, which surprised her. What did she expect him to do? She already knew he didn't steal it. If he'd tried to keep it, she could've torn them all to bits. The only reason that hadn't happened on the bus was that she wasn't trying to kill them.

"Live well, Percy Jackson," she cackled, in dire need of a broomstick. "Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again..." Well, that was mighty grateful of her.

"Percy…" Grover said, awed. "That was so incredibly…"

"Terrifying," Annabeth piped in.

"Cool," he asserted. Green flopped down, and wrote 'Exhausting,' in the sand. Percy helped him up, and he gave him a grin and a thumbs up, hoping Percy knew he was congratulating him on winning a swordfight with a _god_.

Green tuned out the nonsense they were spouting about the dark feeling being the furies, trying to convince themselves and wrote 'Kronos is rising,' in the sand. A wave rose up and obliterated the message. He wanted to _scream_. He couldn't, and that made him want to scream even more, so he decided to vent by kicking the dock, hard. Ignoring his bleeding feet, he returned to the others.

"Fly, like, in an airplane," Annabeth said, sounding incredulous, "which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, and carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?" Okay, seemed like a good plan. In fact, he shouldn't even be sarcastic about that, as it was about ten times better a plan than sword fighting Ares.

_You know,_ Green told his plant friend,_ I think I like this plan. At least I get to sleep on the flight._


End file.
